Xenophilia
by Quatermass
Summary: On the stagnant world of Terra, nothing new ever arrived...until the day a dark-haired mage fell from the sky. Harry Potter arouses the suspicion of Garland, and the curiosity of Mikoto. But when Harry learns of the truth behind Terra, events will lead to Harry and Mikoto both stranded far away from their homeworlds, and forced to confront hard truths...
1. Foreword

**FOREWORD**

Insanity (or my muse: they're not so different) strikes again. I am embarking on a third crossover between _Final Fantasy IX_ and Harry Potter. This one, however, is somewhat different. Both of my stories so far involve a younger Harry getting caught up in events. Both times, he (or she, as was the case in _Amethyst and Garnet_ , being one of my few female Harry stories) was a summoner. The entry points into the plots of the game were different too, but relatively early on.

But I had this weird notion of Harry entering Terra, and ending up with Mikoto, Zidane's 'sister'. I dunno why exactly, only that it would be interesting. And it's certainly an unusual ship. I like doing ships between Harry and less-developed characters in the _Final Fantasy_ games, like with Ultimecia in _Ultimecia's Knight_ , or with Mjrn in _Nitimur in Vetitum_. It allows me to develop said characters beyond what they were given in the story. And this will also give a different perspective on both Terra and Garland. Harry will oppose Garland's plans when he realises what they truly mean, but we will see Garland in a slightly more sympathetic light than he is portrayed as in the game.

I will be tinkering with some of the facts of the game. Mikoto will be 15 by the events of the game, and will have had her soul for about that length of time. The Ultimania suggests otherwise, and most of the facts about how Terra and Gaia's destinies became intertwined will come from that work, via the Final Fantasy Wiki. I will note down some of these changes or things that aren't as apparent in the game to clarify.

Anyway, time for the usual disclaimers. First, there will be spoilers for Harry Potter and _Final Fantasy IX_. You have been warned.

Secondly, as usual for my works, there will be a lot of annotations. I am sick of people complaining about them, so I say to you, if you don't like them, shut up, or get out.

Finally, the following is a fan-written work. Harry Potter and _Final Fantasy IX_ are the properties of their respective owners. Please support the official release. Otherwise, Garland will remove your soul.


	2. Chapter 1: A Novelty on a Dying World

**CHAPTER 1:**

 **A NOVELTY ON A DYING WORLD**

Nothing ever changed on Terra, a world where time had been forgotten, and the world died ever so slowly by inches. At least, not until today.

The blue light of Terra was intense, like that idealised blue that you saw in pictures of the ocean. Indeed, the sky looked almost as if it was just below the surface of a vast, pure sea. It was eerily beautiful, in an alien sort of way, though not by any means alien to its inhabitants, of course.

Most of said inhabitants resembled human beings, except they all seemed to be teenagers or children, most with shaggy mops of blonde hair, and all with tails. There were many monsters here and there, but they only counted as inhabitants in the loosest sense of the word. And, of course, there was the undisputed ruler and long-time servant of Terra, Garland.

So when a teenaged boy with black hair, no tail, and hanging onto a trophy along with the corpse of a slightly older boy fell from the sky, it was certainly something new.

* * *

Mikoto was a Genome who had something few other Genomes were privileged with. She had a soul. She didn't act all that differently from the other Genomes, as they, along with the coldly pragmatic Garland, was all she ever knew. She also knew what she was: an Angel of Death, designed to speed up the process of assimilation of Gaia. Soon, once Kuja and Zidane, the errant former Angels of Death, were dealt with, she would take their place.

She was one of the few Genomes who would age, too, though after a certain point, she would stop. She was currently in her mid-teens, slim and slender, with gentle green eyes that looked vaguely feline. Her expression was serene, but also intelligent. Even so, there was little in her demeanour to distinguish her from the other Genomes, who were little more than soulless robots made of flesh and blood, rather than from metal and plastic.

Even so, as she was taking a walk, when the two bodies fell from the sky and hit the ground right in front of her with a thud, she couldn't help but emit a brief yelp of surprise. At first, she thought it a pair of her fellow Genomes had become defective, and somehow decide to jump off a nearby mushroom structure (hundreds of these dotted the landscape of Terra) out of either suicidal tendencies or thrill-seeking behaviour. But they were not dressed like any Genome she had seen, nor did they have any tails or blonde hair. Indeed, they were dressed in heavy robes, like the magic users of the old days of Terra. One of the boys was hanging onto a rather large trophy.

Mikoto kept a communications earphone, and chose to activate it, calling the one being on the planet she would need to communicate with. After a short interval, Garland answered. " _I am here, child. What is it?_ "

"We have…intruders? They are certainly not Genomes." Mikoto carefully checked the necks of both teenagers. "One seems dead, while the other has a pulse. They seemed to fall from the sky."

" _That is highly disturbing. My instruments have detected a dimensional disturbance, albeit briefly. At first, I thought it an incursion from Gaia, or perhaps the_ Invincible _returning after Kuja's committed his latest folly, but the vectors were all wrong for it to come from Gaia. I believe they have come from another world, one different to Gaia and Terra. I will confirm it when I question the living one. I will come and see if I can revive the dead one with a Life spell. If not, then we will keep the other one alive, if only to find out where he came from, and find out whether he is a threat to our plans._ "

* * *

About an hour later, the still-living boy floated in a tank filled with liquid in one of the medical laboratories. Stripped of his clothing, he floated serenely in the sedative-laced breathable liquid. He was slender, and short for his age. However, he had, despite his scrawniness, just enough muscle. His green eyes were like emeralds, his face framed by a shock of messy black hair that swayed and drifted around eerily in the tank like seaweed. There was a jagged scar in the shape of a lightning bolt on his forehead.

Mikoto studied the artifacts that had come with him. There was a primitive vision correction tool consisting of plastic lenses in a plastic framework. Spectacles, they were, and well-used. Clothing that bore strange writing that resembled one of the alphabets in use on Gaia, with one apparently identifying the teenager as one 'Harry Potter', of some magical education facility known as 'Hogwarts', after some careful translation. A carved stick seemed to be some sort of primitive magic focus, probably a wand of some kind. Even on Gaia, they usually used staffs, rods, or air-rackets.

Garland strode in imperiously. Superficially, he resembled an old man with a thick white beard and dressed in pitch-black armour with a cape. However, his eyes had no pupil or iris, just blank whiteness that still seemed to have an expressiveness. His ears were pointed. And in a hollowed-out part of his armour where his heart should be, a red light glowed and pulsed.

Like the Genomes, Garland was a created being, created by the Terrans to supervise their grand plan. However, he was mostly mechanical, though some parts of his body were biological, including much of his head.

"I have completed an autopsy on the other interloper," Garland said. "I have disposed of the carrion. They are closer to Gaian humans than to Terrans. They're very close to being the same species. Even the genome sequences are almost the same. They could certainly interbreed with no defects. Telomeric markers suggest that the boy was in his late teens. Cause of death is inconclusive, but seems to be magical in cause, not wholly dissimilar to a Death spell, but far more irrevocable. No Life spell could repair even that sort of damage. What of this one?"

"He was unconscious due to a variety of causes. General magical exhaustion, physiological exhaustion, shock caused by unprotected cross-dimensional transit…plus what appears to be extreme magical nociception stimulation."

Garland actually blinked, and his eyes widened in surprise. He was usually impassive and stoic in most matters. "So, his pain receptors were stimulated by a spell of some kind?"

"To an extreme degree. So extreme that prolonged exposure could very well have driven him mad."

Garland frowned. "Instant-death spells and Eidolons are one thing, but a spell dedicated simply to pain stimulation? He must have been facing someone truly cruel and without mercy."

Mikoto agreed inwardly. Weakening your foes through ailments or killing them outright was one thing. Even trapping the souls of the dead was acceptable, if it meant survival of one's own kind. After all, the soul was but lifeforce once freed from the flesh. It soon became lost in the melange within the pathway of souls. But to dedicate an entire spell to causing pain? She felt sick. However, outwardly, she was all-business. "There are signs of chronic malnutrition, only relatively recently corrected. There are also traces of…well, a fragment of soul, centred around the scar on his forehead. I wanted to wait for your permission before I attempted removal."

Garland went over to a screen showing readouts of the boy's condition, and checked the soul fragment. "Yes, indeed. This is not unlike the stagnant souls that become Mist on Gaia…only this is not just a fragment, but also one that is far more tenacious and yet stagnant than most. I will perform the extraction procedure, Mikoto. While I don't doubt your ability to do so, this requires someone with considerably more experience than you do. At least to make sure that this boy survives."

"If the clothing is any indication, his name is Harry Potter."

"Hmm. That does sound like a Gaian name, but I do not think that he's from Gaia. I believe he comes from another world entirely. I wouldn't be surprised if he came here entirely by accident. Once he has recovered from the removal of the soul fragment, I will question him."

* * *

The extraction procedure succeeded, though it very nearly didn't. The soul fragment was ridiculously tenacious. Harry flatlined at least twice, and had to be revived with a Life spell. However, the soul fragment had been successfully extracted, and dispersed before it could be entrapped. However, the boy survived, and was recovering well. The sedatives were soon removed from the liquid breathing mix, and as he woke, Mikoto drained the tank. As he sagged to his knees, hacking up the very liquid he had been breathing, she supported him, and handed him his spectacles. They would offer him corrective surgery later. He blinked as he focused on Mikoto, and then on Garland. "Who are you?" he asked, in what sounded like an Alexandrian accent. "Where am I?"

"I am Garland, the leader of Terra," Garland said. "The girl is Mikoto. And you are currently on the planet Terra."

He blinked, clearly confused. "Planet? Terra? I'm…on another world?" He blinked again, and then looked around. "Cedric! Where is he?"

"Your friend's corpse has been disposed of," Garland said. "My apologies. We thought it best to prioritise the living over the dead. The pair of you fell from the sky in front of Mikoto, while at the same time, I detected a dimensional disturbance. You come from another world entirely, do you not?"

Harry seemed to consider his answer carefully, before he nodded. "I come from the planet Earth. Britain, to be precise."

"Is that a country, city, continent?"

"Country."

"Ah. You are in the city of Bran Bal on Terra. I will leave you to shower and get dressed. Then, Mikoto will escort you to my observatory in Pandemonium." And with that, and a swish of his cape, he stalked up the stairs.

Harry blinked, before muttering, "Did Snape take lessons from that guy?"

Mikoto asked, "Who is Snape?"

"My Potions teacher, and a nasty git," Harry muttered. He then seemed to remember that he was naked. While the Genomes (and Mikoto herself) had little in the way of a nudity taboo, Harry seemed to have one, for he yelped, and blushed. "Umm, my clothes, please?"

"There is a shower unit in that cubicle. Wash the breathing liquid off first, and then you may dress. The breathing liquid is somewhat mephitic when it decays," she said. On his blank look, she said, "It smells badly."

"Oh." Harry scurried off into the shower, and activated it. Then, a yelp emanated from the shower.

"What is the matter? Is it too hot?"

"No, it's too cold!"

Mikoto didn't know why, but she had to stifle a sudden urge to giggle. He was so…emotional. He certainly reacted more to unpleasant stimuli than most Genomes, who usually didn't emit a sound unless they were in extreme pain. A veritable novelty on a dying world.

Eventually, Harry emerged, wrapping a towel around him. He then went over to the table, picked up his clothes, and went back to the shower cubicle, and began dressing behind its closed door. "I have already seen you nude," Mikoto said.

"Don't you guys have any sense of privacy?" Harry complained.

"Garland and I are the only besouled beings on Terra," Mikoto replied. "The rest of my kind are bodies without souls, empty."

After a pause, Harry asked, "Did Dementors get them?"

"They were manufactured without souls. What are these 'Dementors' of which you speak?"

"Soul-sucking creatures. If you don't have them here, pray you never meet one," Harry said with a shudder as he walked out, finally dressed, not in all of his clothes, but trousers and a shirt. He blinked as the conversation caught up with him. "What do you mean, manufactured? Like robots or clones or something?"

"A clone would be a good analogy. Though you are a mage. Many mage communities that we have encountered eschew technology."

"Mine does, but I grew up with Muggles…non-mages," Harry explained. "Plus, one of my friends is really smart. She keeps up with scientific stuff. But…why do you have soulless clones around everywhere?"

"It is a long story, and it is better that Garland tells it, for he knows the lore of our people better than I," she said. But that wasn't the only reason she demurred. There was something about him, something that she didn't want to tell him about the true purpose. Something that told her she didn't want to lie. For some reason, she didn't want to do that.

As she led him out of the medical laboratory, though, she knew that things on Terra would never be the same again, for good or for ill…

 **CHAPTER 1 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Those of you who have followed my other works will notice a similarity with my** ** _Neon Genesis Evangelion_** **crossover** ** _Harry Potter and the Blue-Haired Angel_** **. It does start off the same way, with Harry and the corpse of Cedric ending up in another world thanks to a Death Eater firing a spell at the Portkey as Harry tries to escape. This was a conceit I originally took from a crossover with** ** _Magical Girl Lyrical Nanoha_** **that sadly seems to have been taken down.**

 **There's also a little more to it, I realise as I write this work. Mikoto and Rei Ayanami actually have quite a bit in common in many regards, especially as they are not actually emotionless, but rather, incapable of expressing it to any great degree.**

 **No numbered annotations for this chapter.**


	3. Chapter 2: A New Bond?

**CHAPTER 2:**

 **A NEW BOND?**

He was on another world. Harry Potter was still trying to wrap his head around such an enormous concept. _He was on another world_.

It was a somewhat alien landscape. He looked up at the blue sky, crowded by the strange, mushroom-like structures that crowded the landscape. He saw the people walking around, all with shaggy blonde hair, and tails protruding from their backsides. None so much as looked at him when he passed. And while it was good in one way to be free of interest and scrutiny, especially after that shambles of the previous year, with the Tri-Wizard Tournament and the antipathy he got from almost all and sundry at first, he found their lack of attention disturbing. It was like he barely existed to them. When he struck up a conversation with them, their voices were quiet, and their words to the point.

"What's wrong with them?" Harry asked.

"I told you. They lack souls," Mikoto said. While her voice was a quiet monotone, Harry already could pick up small inflections that weren't present in the other Genomes.

"Yeah, but I was told when someone loses their soul, they just…breathe, and that's about it. These guys can talk, and walk, and I guess that makes them…creepy. Sorry if that offends you."

"No offense is taken," Mikoto said. "You speak of something called the Uncanny Valley. The closer something is to looking real, the more unreal it seems. It may seem paradoxical, but it is a fact documented by Terran scientists before the Cataclysm."

Harry nodded as the girl led on. The gentle swaying of her tail was almost hypnotic. He had no doubt that it was real. Occasionally, as she slowed, it had brushed up against him. She was actually quite cute, even if she was a bit lacking when it came to expressing emotions. But unlike the other Genomes, where it was quite creepy, with her, it gave her an oddly endearing quality. Like you just wanted to give her a hug, and hope you could squeeze some emotion out of her.

* * *

They made their way to Pandemonium, Garland's castle. Harry found himself more than a little intimidated by the dark lines of the massive castle, but took heart in Mikoto escorting him.

They eventually made their way, courtesy of some transporters (infinitely more pleasant to use than Portkeys or Apparation), to a massive observatory, where Garland was waiting, peering at a massive hologram of a world, presumably Terra. As Mikoto made to leave, Garland said, "Stay, Mikoto. I will need you to escort him back to Bran Bal." He then turned, and descended the stairs from the platform he had been viewing the hologram, and walked up to Harry. "According to the labels on your clothing, your name is Harry Potter, and my earlier analysis showed you to be a mage. Greetings, then, are in order. As I have said before, I am Garland, the ruler of Terra. This is Mikoto, my most trusted assistant. Welcome to my castle, Pandemonium."

"Are you like a king or emperor or something?" Harry asked.

"Not exactly. I am more of an administrator or custodian, brought into being to oversee a truly important task: the rebirth of our world."

"Rebirth?"

"Terra, despite appearances, is a dying world, kept in stasis. Thousands of years ago, an attempt to improve our civilisation actually began a stagnation and decay." Garland gestured around. "Throughout Terra, but especially within this castle, the souls of Terra slumber in special containers. I was created to be their custodian, to watch over them."

"So, you're a robot of some kind?"

"A better term would be something like a cyborg. While artificial, some of me is organic rather than metal or plastic," Garland said. "Though I am the ruler of Terra, I am also its servant."

"If the souls of Terra sleep, why are those Genomes out and about?"

"They are to be the vessels of the souls when the time comes. They are, for the moment, immortal. They also require conditioning in order to be optimal receptacles of souls, so they exercise both body and mind, despite their lack of a soul. As I am the custodian of not only the care of the Genomes, but the souls of Terra, how you came here concerns me. I am well aware that you came from another world, and in all likelihood, by accident. But I wish to know about the circumstances under which you came to be here. I would ask that you tell the truth, and nothing but. I may be an artificial being, but I am well versed in the arts of duplicity."

Harry sighed. Where should he begin…?

* * *

After his explanation, Garland stroked his beard thoughtfully. "So, to summarise, you are here because your blood was used in an arcane ritual to resurrect a warlock who has taken it into his head that you are his nemesis. In addition, while trying to flee a confrontation with him, you used this 'Portkey' to try and escape, only for one of the warlock's followers to cast a spell on it."

Harry nodded. "I'm telling the truth."

"It certainly matches up with what we have seen, and I shall give you the benefit of the doubt for now," Garland said. "I will analyse the trophy, and see if I can replicate the results, and send you back whence you came, though I cannot guarantee any success. Your coming to Terra was an accident of prodigious proportions. However, should I find a means of sending you back, then I shall do so. Until that time comes, I shall allow you to stay on Terra as our guest." He turned to Mikoto. "Mikoto, please take Harry back to Bran Bal."

Mikoto nodded, before gesturing for Harry to follow her. He did so, before saying, "Thanks," to Garland. Garland nodded in acknowledgement back, then strode back up to the platform.

To be honest, he still felt uneasy about this place, especially as Garland had the whole dark armour and cape thing you seemed to see in fantasy fiction villains. But it didn't necessarily mean Garland was a villain, right?

* * *

As Mikoto led Harry away, Garland contemplated the newcomer. He seemed harmless enough, in theory. But he was a mage, and despite his youth had, according to his abridged account of his life (assuming of course it was truthful), faced many dangers and overcame them. And he seemed to have scruples that meant that Garland's decision to keep the true nature of Terra hidden from him was a wise one, for the time being. Of course, he wouldn't be surprised if the young mage did learn the truth sooner or later.

But even if he could repair the Portkey (which Garland would only do as an intellectual exercise), he didn't want to risk sending Harry back, especially if Harry learned of Terra's mission. He could warn the people of Earth, have them erect some kind of countermeasure. And while it would be centuries if not millennia before Terra fused with Gaia, and even more time before they would need to do so with Earth, it was enough time to erect countermeasures.

Even so…Harry Potter could be of use. Once Garland had determined his magical potential, he could empty out Harry's body, and re-ensoul it with a Terran soul to act as another Angel of Death. Otherwise, he would merely preserve the body as an interesting biological sample of a mage from another world.

However, there were other more pressing issues to consider. Kuja's activity in Gaia was becoming erratic. Not quite deviating from the plan, at least not until just under a week ago, Gaian time (for Terra was virtually timeless). But it seemed that Kuja had recently summoned the _Invincible_. And while he had erased the records of what he had done, Garland was capable of recovering them. Already, what he had seen so far was cause enough for him to board the _Invincible_ and monitor what Kuja did. It seemed that Kuja had decided to start controlling Eidolons, and Kuja's interest in them before seemed to indicate that he wanted to use Eidolons against Garland. Even now, the Eidolon Bahamut was under the sway of Kuja, in the aftermath of the _Invincible_ 's last expedition, to the Iifa Tree.

In addition, the Iifa Tree itself had been disrupted, with the Soulcage killed. The Soulcage's last messages suggested that it was none other than Zidane, the Angel of Death who was meant to be Kuja's successor, who did so. The Soulcage's messages suggested that Zidane was opposed to Kuja…but he had also gone native. Garland had been resigned to that possibility long ago. If Zidane hadn't been killed when Kuja stranded him in Gaia, then he had probably gone native.

Suddenly, he received a signal from the _Invincible_. Kuja was summoning it yet again. It would delay until he made his way to the ship. He went to his own personal teleporter, and took it to the _Invincible_. Soon, he was on his way to Gaia. And to Alexandria, if the autopilot readout was any indication.

Now he understood. Or at least could guess. Five centuries ago, an almighty Eidolon had been summoned there. Alexander, the Holy Citadel. But the Eidolon rampaged, and had to be sealed away. He would wait to confirm Kuja's treachery, and then annihilate him, along with Alexandria, and all who stood in the way of Terra's rebirth…

* * *

As they walked along the winding roads of Bran Bal, Harry was startled when he heard a loud noise, almost like an aircraft revving up. He watched as something, like a magnificent whale in blue, rose into the air from nearby, marred by a red portal in the underside that seemed to glow like a malevolent eye.

"What is that?" Harry breathed in awe. Whatever it was, it was massive. It looked like some kind of spaceship.

"The flagship of the Terran airforce, though in truth, it is the only one of its kind. The ultimate airship, the Invincible," Mikoto said. "Garland must have an errand on Gaia."

"Gaia?"

"We are linked to another world known as Gaia. One of our kind, Kuja, has gone rogue on Gaia. He was one of the few of us given a soul, but he has betrayed us. He revels in destruction, and disobeys Garland's orders. I believe Garland is going to deal with him."

"Huh." Harry wasn't sure what to make of that. Then again, he wasn't sure what to make of anything on Terra. He didn't really have any frame of reference. In addition, Moody's regular bellowing of " _CONSTANT VIGILANCE!_ " had stuck in Harry's mind.

It was that that made Harry feel some yearning for home. Everything had gone by so fast, he hadn't really had time to think about it. And then, as he thought about his friends, and how much they would be worrying about him, he realised with a chill that they were at Voldemort's mercy. He had come back to life, and only he, and the Death Eaters, knew. His only hope of his friends even learning about this was if Snape told Dumbledore about the Dark Mark. And while Snape was a git of the highest order, he also knew that this was probably the only thing he could rely upon the Potions Master to do.

Even so, his friends wouldn't know if he was alive or dead. They'd probably think him dead, unless someone had a means of finding out otherwise.

He sagged down onto a nearby bench, carved weirdly out of blue rock. As he wept, Mikoto stood in front of him, her head tilting ever so slightly in a quizzical manner. "Why are you crying?" she asked.

"My friends…they'll be worried sick about me. They'll think I'm dead," Harry sobbed.

The Genome sat down next to him. "You have bonds with these people?" she asked.

"Well, yeah. Don't you have any friends?"

"No. None of the other Genomes present on this world have souls or emotions. Garland is my superior. I have few opportunities for friendship."

"…Haven't you ever desired friendship of any kind?" Harry asked incredulously.

"…No."

"…You must be lonely."

"…Lonely. Yes. Perhaps I am."

Harry looked up at the vivid blue sky of Terra, bluer than he had seen in any sky, even on Earth, even in pictures. It was a strange blue that seemed to fill the very air itself. Eventually, he said, "I know what it's like to be lonely. I didn't say it to Garland, but I spent ten of the first eleven years of my life without any friends. The relatives looking after me were appalling excuses for human beings. It was only when I went to Hogwarts that I actually had friends. It's better to be with friends than without them, really."

* * *

Mikoto scrutinised Harry. He had bared his heart. And he had made her realise, without realising it himself, that she was lonely. That there was a void within her soul. A void that was from a lack of connection to others. And when he said that it is better to be with friends than without them, her course of action seemed clear. Normally, when she made decisions, it was based on cold and hard calculation.

But now, she made one on an impulse.

"Then…may I be your friend, Harry?" Mikoto asked.

The young mage whipped his head around to stare at her in astonishment. Then, he said, "Well, maybe, but, well, we barely know each other."

"It may be some time before Garland can restore your Portkey," Mikoto said. "There are many tasks that require his attention. I think we will have some time to become acquainted."

Harry seemed to be stunned by such a thing, before he seemed to shrug resignedly. "Yeah, why not? I'm gonna be stuck here anyway, and you're the only decent company."

Mikoto smiled, despite herself. Even so, she was troubled at her impulsive request. Given Terra's mission, she was almost certain Harry would oppose it. And it meant that he might view her keeping it a secret as a betrayal. Time would tell…

 **CHAPTER 2 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Well, there you have it. The start of the Harry and Mikoto shipping, as well as the events of the game happening. This is just before Kuja lays waste to Alexandria with Bahamut, and Garland uses the** ** _Invincible_** **to destroy Alexander and much of Alexandria.**

 **While Mikoto in the game is somewhat emotionless, I think that, like Rei Ayanami from** ** _Neon Genesis Evangelion_** **(as mentioned above), it's not because she IS emotionless, but she lacks the ability to express it. Having someone like Harry, who is fresh and new, and who isn't either from Gaia (and thus automatically her enemy) or Zidane (being the prodigal son), makes her more vulnerable to the emotions he is stirring, a desire for a connection. Harry, just by being there, made her a little impulsive.**

 **Now, after a certain point, this story will head back to the Harry Potter world. I dunno whether I'm going to do any bashing in this work (though it will probably be of Dumbledore and Snape, if at all: I don't really do much in the way of Ron-bashing, save for in passing).**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	4. Chapter 3: Hijack the Invincible!

**CHAPTER 3:**

 **HIJACK THE INVINCIBLE!**

There were many strange things to get used to on Terra, Harry soon realised, not least of all the landscape. For example, the Genomes, including Mikoto, slept in tanks of the same sort as he had woken up in. Because it 'compressed' the restful nature of sleep using drugs and a certain magical energy, it meant you only had to spend a few hours in there to be rested. It took him some time to get used to sleeping in the same manner, but it was surprisingly restful, though all but drowning and choking every time he went to 'bed' each 'night', so to speak, he could have done without.

Which was another weird thing about Terra. There wasn't really a night here, or even a day, let alone a sun. Just an all-pervasive blue light that waxed and waned. An eerie thing to live on a world without a proper night or day.

There were the inhabitants, of course, but he had already noted how strange they were. Given that he was told they were soulless drones, they continued to evoke a strong sense of disquiet. They were like living robots. If living robots had tails.

Then, there was the fact that the ruler of Terra was a sort of robot with organic parts, and looked like a bearded old man in dark armour and a cape. A week ago, Garland returned, looking angry. Mikoto had left to speak with him, and had returned, telling Harry that Garland had stopped Kuja from obtaining a powerful weapon with which he intended to usurp Garland.

And then, there was Mikoto herself. The truth was, Harry was grateful to Mikoto for offering to be his friend. In retrospect, he couldn't help but shake the feeling that there was an ulterior purpose (maybe Mad-Eye Moody's paranoia was rubbing off on him, or maybe he remembered Malfoy's offer cum demand to become a friend at the beginning of his first year), but Mikoto certainly would be starved for any affection in a world like this. He felt sorry for her. And to be fair, it wasn't like there was anyone else to speak to here. Garland only marched around Pandemonium, as far as he knew (though Harry hoped that Garland would work on that Portkey), so there was only really Mikoto to speak to.

Most of their days were spent exploring Bran Bal and its surrounds, with Mikoto telling him something about Terra's history, and him regaling her with tales of his life, mostly about his time at Hogwarts. He could tell she was fascinated by his stories. Then again, he guessed he was something new, something novel on Terra.

Even so, he couldn't forget his friends, and he made it a point to contact Garland every couple of days regarding the Portkey. Garland said he was working on it, in a tone that brooked no arguments. And as time went by, Harry's unease began to grow. Given what had happened to him during his fourth year at Hogwarts, never mind the last few years, he found himself developing an instinct of some sort. Especially when people (Dumbledore in particular) were hiding things from him. And his instincts were telling him that Garland was definitely hiding something from him.

And frankly, so too was Mikoto.

Still, she was pleasant to be around. She was intelligent and inquisitive like Hermione, albeit without the bossiness. And she was certainly quieter and more reserved, and as much as he treasured Hermione's friendship, she had also shown herself to be very opinionated and quixotic, which the SPEW fiasco highlighted. Harry reckoned that she had embarrassed herself with that little crusade.

Thinking of Hermione caused another pang of homesickness in his heart. Harry knew that she would be champing at the bit at the chance to experience a whole new world, especially one as relatively alien and strange as Terra. He'd even mentioned this to Mikoto, who had smiled ever-so-slightly.

Today, he was being given a treat. Mikoto was letting him onto the _Invincible_ , albeit as just a look around. As he looked around the sleekly-decorated interior of the massive airship in awe, Mikoto said, "The _Invincible_ is the culmination of many centuries of research and development, long before Terra's fall. The first prototype was something of a farcical failure: it imploded shortly upon takeoff. The experimental gravity drive failed catastrophically, and a singularity was briefly formed(1)."

Harry winced at the thought. "That must have been a spectacular sight."

"From a distance, yes. I would not imagine it was enjoyable to any nearby witnesses. Even if they avoided being consumed by the temporary singularity, they would have found themselves pulled into the air, only to fall back to the ground when the singularity faded," Mikoto remarked. "Several more successful prototypes were created over a period of time. The final version of the _Invincible_ , the last created airship on Terra, was entrusted to Garland."

"Why? I mean, does he use it often?"

"When he needs to cross into Gaia, yes. Gaia is not aware of our existence, any more than your world is. I am sure you can appreciate the need for discretion. Kuja also used to be an agent of ours on Gaia, until he went rogue, and he sometimes required the use of the _Invincible_. He used a remote control. However, his remote access has been revoked. Indeed, all remote access has been revoked. He removed remote access in case Kuja attempted to take control of it again. I believe he is working on a way to safeguard the remote access for emergencies."

Harry nodded. But then, he heard something. Like a whisper tugging at his ears. He wandered through the ship, finding himself in a massive space, with a giant, glowing red light down below. The whispering, if anything, grew even louder. Mikoto followed him, a frown on her face. "Harry, what are you doing?"

"Can't you hear that?" Harry asked as he approached a platform over the crimson light. "The voices?"

The red light seemed to reach out towards him. Something in it touched him, touched his mind.

Suddenly, something roared through his mind, and just as everything dissolved into a sanguine darkness, the last thing he heard was Mikoto yelling his name…

* * *

 _He was alone in the strange crimson tinted darkness. And yet, not alone. Whispers flitted around him, like words on the wind._

 _"Who are you? What are you?"_

 _A woman's voice emerged from the darkness, resonant and imperious. "We are the ranks of the dead, stolen from our bodies by the vile powers of this vessel. Whenever the_ Invincible _uses its powers on Gaia, the souls of those touched by its power will be drawn into it when they die."_

 _Another voice, that of a man, solemn and pensive, came through. "Madain Sari, the Iifa Tree, Alexandria, whatever the_ Invincible _touches, it steals souls, and uses them to power it. You are not of Gaia or Terra, but your power allows you to speak with us, to commune with us, the ranks of the unquiet dead."_

 _Harry blinked. "I don't understand, why does the_ Invincible _have this capacity?"_

 _"Because the Terrans are obsessed with their survival. What Garland told you was the truth, but they committed lies of omission," the man's voice continued. "The Terrans seek to revive themselves by emptying Gaia of its souls, and substituting their own once Gaia is empty of its native life. It is a slow process, but one they accelerate through war and bloodshed. And anyone they consider a credible threat to their plan, they exterminate. I, Johan(_ _2)_ _, was once a summoner of Madain Sari, a group of mages capable of summoning powerful magical creatures, Eidolons, to assist us in battle. But Garland wiped us out."_

 _"I was Queen Brahne Raza Alexandros XVI," came the imperious female voice. "Kuja manipulated me to wage war on the continent I ruled a kingdom on, exciting my greed, turning me against even my own adopted daughter, the daughter by blood of Johan, and a summoner herself. In my greed for conquest, I fell into Kuja's trap. Part of his intention was to accelerate the process, but he also whispered in my ears about the ultimate Eidolon, Alexander, that I could use to destroy my enemies. But he wanted Alexander all for himself, to use against Garland. Garland wiped out my city, and many, too many, of my people."_

 _Harry looked around at the darkness, before saying, "So…what do you want me to do about it? How the hell can I stop this? You just said it, that Terra is trying to take over Gaia. How can I stop that?"_

 _"Leave Terra. You're in the_ Invincible, _aren't you? We can show you how to work the controls. We watched as Garland manipulated them," Johan said. "And then, go to my daughter."_

 _"His daughter by blood, mine by adoption. Princess Garnet til Alexandros XVII of Alexandria, aka Sarah of Madain Sari, aka Dagger," Brahne added._

 _"And what of Mikoto? What do I do with her?" Harry demanded. "Does she know?"_

 _"Yes," Johan said. "But unlike Garland, she lacks perspective. She is far from a villain. Her life is all she has known, and she truly wants you as a friend. This, I can see."_

 _"And yet, she didn't tell me about this crap," Harry said bitterly._

 _"If she had, she would have lost your friendship. Garland may even have punished her. As it is, she is in danger if you leave her here. Her brothers are waiting for her in Gaia. Kuja is as much a villain as Garland, if not more so: for all Garland's willingness to hasten the end of a world so that he could take it over, he did so for his people. Kuja merely seeks power to defy his fate, and he cares not for who gets in the way. But Zidane is another matter. Zidane, Kuja, and Mikoto were made to be Garland's Angels of Death. Kuja embraces his role, even as he seeks to break free from Garland's control. Zidane doesn't know about his purpose, or even his origins: he is as valorous as you are. And Mikoto…she has the potential to walk down a different path to that determined for her. Take her with you. Show her the path she walks down is wrong. Terra's time has passed long ago. It is merely a vampire planet supping on the lifeforce of other worlds. Go now, Harry, and save Gaia."_

* * *

Mikoto watched as Harry collapsed in horror. What had happened to him? Had the souls entombed in the _Invincible_ reached out to him? Were they attacking him? Telling him the truth? She didn't know what was worse. She dithered, panicking despite her usually cool demeanour. She was afraid to even approach him, lest the souls attacking him turned their attention to her.

After what seemed like an eternity, the red tendril of light withdrew, and Harry stirred back into consciousness. And when his green eyes turned onto her own, she realised something.

 _He_ _ **knew**_.

She didn't know exactly how he knew, except the souls in the _Invincible_ were probably involved, but there was no denying the hurt and betrayal in his eyes, emotions she was far from familiar with, but were all the more acutely noticeable for it.

He stood, took his wand out, and said, coldly, " _Petrificus Totalus_." Mikoto felt her arms snap to her sides, her legs snap together, her body frozen into near-absolute immobility, save for her heart and her breath. As she toppled, he caught her almost tenderly, and looked at her. "We're leaving Terra. I'm going to show you that you're wrong!"

Then, he pulled her with him, laying her down on a recliner chair (side on, to avoid harming her now petrified tail), before rushing to the cockpit. Mikoto watched him go in dismay. He had no chance to get the _Invincible_ working. No chance at all. And even if he did, Garland wouldn't let him go…

* * *

Harry went to the control panels, and began stabbing buttons, seemingly at random, but actually activating the take-off procedures. The floor began to quake and shake, and then, on the massive viewscreen in front of him, the ground began to drop away slowly.

Harry looked around the bridge. The elegant lines of the construction made it look like a work of art. A shame it was such a destructive machine. Then, suddenly, there was a crackle from what must have been the radio. " _Mikoto? Mikoto, are you there? This isn't the time to go joyriding in the_ Invincible. _Mikoto? Respond!_ "

Harry debated whether to answer the radio, only to realise that the longer Garland was kept in the dark about what was happening, the longer he had to get away.

" _Mikoto, respond! Answer me!_ " Garland yelled from the radio. " _Mikoto, where are you? Are you gallivanting with Potter? Get to the damned radio now!_ " Then, after a while, he heard Garland mutter, " _Ah. So that's how it is. Listen to me, Harry Potter. I can see you on surveillance camera feeds from the_ Invincible. _And judging by the expression on your face, as well as the fact that Mikoto is currently paralysed in the lounge, you know._ "

Harry, realising the jig was up, stabbed down on a button. "Damn straight I know, Garland. The souls in here were very chatty. You were going to commit genocide."

" _To save my people. All life must destroy other life in order to survive. It is a concrete fact of life, Harry Potter._ "

"And that makes what you're doing okay?" Harry snarled.

" _I do not have to justify myself to an interloper_ ," Garland said.

"You could have just sent me back and left me none the wiser."

" _And risk you giving any information about Terra to your world, who might be our next target? I think not. If you do not return the_ Invincible _to its berth, I will shoot it out of the sky_."

"And what about Mikoto? Does she hold any value to you?" Harry asked. It was a long shot, holding her hostage, but he had to try.

" _She holds value, but in the end, she is replaceable, just like her brothers. It is better this way. I saw her increasing attachment to you, and knew that I may have to do something about this. Your hijacking the_ Invincible _merely makes things a little easier_."

Harry jabbed at the controls, accelerating the ascent of the _Invincible_. "Then I'm actually glad I'm taking her away from you. You're the nearest thing she has to a father. And you're treating her as disposable."

" _So be it._ " Suddenly, the _Invincible_ rocked, an explosion erupting from the side of the ship. " _It is regretful that I am forced to destroy the pinnacle of our people's work, but in the end, it is replaceable. And you and Mikoto are disposable._ "

Harry began punching buttons like an insane pianist at a concert, even as the _Invincible_ rocked and shuddered from blasts hitting it. Just as the massive ship began to falter, the viewscreen suddenly began showing a vortex of light and energy, a thing of beauty that Harry would have appreciated more if the _Invincible_ wasn't rocking and shaking, the engines making a very unhealthy noise.

Suddenly, the vortex cleared, and Harry saw that they had emerged flying in what looked to be an arctic area of the world, seemingly spat out from an icy island shimmering with light. The ship was heading towards nearby land, a snowy landscape, and Harry knew that the _Invincible_ was about to crash.

Running to where Mikoto was, he removed the Body-Bind. "We're going to crash! How do we survive it?"

Mikoto looked at him like a deer caught in the headlights, before pushing him down onto another couch. "Press that button!" she instructed, showing a button on the armrest of the chair, before sitting down on her own, and pressing the button, promptly being encased in a globe of blue energy.

Harry did the same, and the last thing he saw before everything went to hell was a haze of blue…

 **CHAPTER 3 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **So, there you have it. Harry's learned the truth, and has fled Terra into Gaia, with Mikoto in tow. I actually had a lot of trouble figuring out what to do with the story for this chapter. I wanted Harry to learn the truth sooner rather than later, but struggled to find out how, and how he could escape meaningfully. In case you're wondering, Harry's crash-landed at Esto Gaza, just as Kuja (having kidnapped Eiko), along with Zidane's party, make their way there.**

 **Review-answering time!** **Heika** **: Yes and no. The** ** _Invincible_** **is the only airship of its kind, but the airship fleet was also disassembled and salvaged (being a waste of resources). And those scenes? Not gonna happen.**

 **1\. I was thinking of why the original** ** _Invincible_** **is stated (in Oeilvert) to be a failure. I thought of a darkly-humorous combination of the fate of the Starship Titanic from Douglas Adams' writing and the Jagaroth warship at the beginning of** ** _Doctor Who: City of Death_** **. In the recent novelisation by James Goss, the warship is given a name that refers to the original name of the Jagaroth in the original scripts, and has a resonance for any** ** _Final Fantasy_** **fan: The** ** _Sephiroth_** **. That's right:** ** _Doctor Who_** **nearly had villains called the Sephiroth.**

 **2\. Johan was the name I gave Garnet's birth father in my female Harry crossover** ** _Amethyst and Garnet_** **.**


	5. Chapter 4: A Cold Reception

**CHAPTER 4:**

 **A COLD RECEPTION**

A few minutes later (though it felt more like an eternity), the forcefield dissolved itself, the room filling with acrid dark smoke, and the discordant banshee wailing of several alarms. Harry found himself facing a shaken but otherwise uninjured Mikoto, who said, "We should go. The auto-repair systems will take care of the worst damage, and it can fly in a few hours, but the fire-suppressant systems need to kick in. They will suffocate us unless we leave soon."

Harry scowled, but as Mikoto led him away, he asked, rather snidely, "And when were you going to tell me Terra was trying to commit genocide?"

After a moment's silence, she admitted, quietly, "Never."

If it weren't for the slightest hitch in her voice, filled with small but noticeable hints of regret, self-reproach, and sorrow, he would have followed it up with a retort Snape would have been proud of. Instead, he followed her in relative silence, the wailing of alarms following them. Recriminations would have to wait when they weren't in mortal danger.

She stopped briefly at a control panel that was showing some sort of display, before nodding. "We will need warm clothing. We are currently near Esto Gaza on the Lost Continent of Gaia."

Harry rubbed his head. He must have hit it on something, because he felt a headache coming on. "Anything else?"

"There are people approaching the _Invincible_. External cameras are out for the moment, but some motion sensors still work." They reached a locker, and she pulled out a couple of thick jackets, one of which she handed to Harry.

"Then let's hope that they're friendly," Harry remarked, donning his jacket. He then glared at Mikoto, who flinched away, shamefaced. "And willing to listen."

* * *

The ship had crashed all but right in front of them, coming out of the sky with a monstrous dying scream of its failing engines. It now sat there on the snow, smoke billowing from its form, like a colourful beached whale with a tobacco habit. Zidane hadn't seen anything like it, but something about that red light on the underside he had glimpsed just as it crashed seemed awfully familiar.

Thankfully, it had crashed not far from their destination at Esto Gaza, so they approached it carefully, ever-mindful that they couldn't linger, as Eiko's life was in danger thanks to Kuja. "What diabolical manner of craft is this? Is this an airship of some sort?" Steiner mused.

"It's massive," Cid, still in the form of a frog, remarked. "It's like no airship I have ever seen, _ribbit_ , though I am certain that's what it is. Just not of any design I have ever heard of."

"Doesn't look like it'll be flying anytime soon," the red-haired Amarant remarked. "Doubt there's any survivors either. And given what happened to the summoner brat, time's wasting."

Zidane had to admit that the red-haired man was right. But before he could say anything further, a hatch on the side of the craft opened, and a pair of figures, both wearing thick jackets, clambered out. "Look, Amarant. Survivors," he said. But when he scrutinised them further, he froze.

The teenaged boy, maybe a couple of years his junior, didn't look that remarkable. He looked a bit scrawny, with messy black hair and green eyes flashing behind glasses. He looked a little weary and shaken up, that was all. But the girl was another matter, with a thatch of short blonde hair framing a morose and slightly frightened face, green semi-feline eyes…and a gently-lashing tail, just poking out from beneath the jacket. Just like him.

The teenaged boy ran towards them, before frowning when he saw Zidane's tail. "Who are you? Zidane or Kuja?"

Zidane blinked. Did the teenager know of both of them? He also felt a slight thrill of anger and offence at being compared to Kuja. How could this teenager confuse him with Kuja? Last time he checked, Kuja didn't have a tail. "Zidane, of course! Who are you? And who's that girl?"

"I'm Harry Potter, this is Mikoto, and Gaia is in very great danger!"

"That can wait!" Steiner yelled. "We need to save Eiko from Kuja!"

The teenager, who called himself Harry, blinked, before muttering, "Out of the frying pan, and into the freezer(1)." Louder, he said, "Okay, let's go. I guess it can wait so we can save the damsel! Assuming it's a girl. Am I right?" On seeing their nods, he returned it. "Good. By the way, Zidane, say hello to your little sister and fellow Genome of Terra. Mikoto, this is Zidane. Zidane, this is Mikoto. There, introduced. Right? Good. On we go." And with that, the teenaged boy began charging up the hill in a swift march.

"…Is he at all sane?" Freya asked, her rat-like features creased in concern.

"He's gone through a lot," Mikoto said in a quiet monotone of a voice.

"What did he mean, 'Gaia is in very great danger'?" Vivi asked.

"It is a long story, and it can wait until we save your friend," Mikoto said, though she seemed resigned to doing so, rather than actually wanting to do so.

Zidane said nothing as they began following the teenager up the slope. He was perturbed about how this Harry had announced this girl with a tail to be his sister, and a fellow Genome of Terra, whatever that was. Was that the name of his people? And what was that about Gaia being in danger?

Princess Garnet, known to Zidane as Dagger, said nothing. She hadn't since most of Alexandria was wiped off the face of Gaia, her muteness induced by psychological trauma. But she wasn't unobservant. She saw that red portal before the massive ship crashed. It reminded her of the malevolent red eye she had seen hovering over Madain Sari when she was a child, along with the one she saw Kuja summon at the Iifa Tree and Alexandria. And she had to wonder, what did these two people want? And why was this girl like Zidane? The one calling himself Harry had introduced her as Zidane's sister.

Quina didn't say anything, but that's because Quina didn't really care. The hermaphroditic Qu only cared about getting something yummy to eat. And the Qu wasn't convinced that anything of the sort would be found amongst all this snow…

* * *

Harry soon came to Esto Gaza. He wasn't quite sure why he stormed off, though maybe it was because, once they saved Eiko, he could get around to warning them properly about Terra and Garland's plans. Plus, the souls contacting him seemed to have skewed his mind a little. Fe felt somewhat manic.

The stone buildings of Esto Gaza stood mostly vacant of pilgrims. Not that Harry knew it was a religious site: even given his lack of knowledge about Gaia, he didn't know. And for the moment, he much less cared. He went into the building, approached the nearest man in authority, who seemed to be holding a big staff, and asked, "Excuse me, did some villainous type stroll through here with a girl in tow?"

"How dare you address me so?" the man yelped indignantly. "I am the Bishop of Esto Gaza, the holy place in which you stand. I would thank you to mind your tongue."

"Yeah, well, I'm Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived. I'm the poor bastard fate shits on from a great height. And I only asked if someone came through with a girl with ill-intentions. You let me know, and I'll let you get on with the business of your religion."

The Bishop blinked at him, before scowling. "If it will help you go along your way, then I will not hinder you. All life is equal, though, and the living shall return to the stars, through the Path of Souls to the Shimmering Island. Hundreds of Black Mages barged in, making their way to Mount Gulug. I have heard of their like laying waste to much of the Mist Continent. One of the Black Mages was carrying a girl. Their leader, a rather effeminate-looking man, glared at me and had me move aside."

"And where's Mount Gulug?"

"It's behind this temple, through that passage." He indicated a doorway. "It is a volcano that went extinct in ages past. Once, a race of mole people lived in those caves, but died out in a single night. Nobody has ever entered those caves since the entrance was mysteriously sealed."

"Okay. Well, there's going to be a few people asking after that girl. If they ask about someone called Eiko, send them after me. Tell them I'll wait for them if it looks dicey."

With that, he strode through the doorway, and soon ended up outside again. The path split in two. The first led to an observation platform, with a great view of the Shimmering Island. With a start, he realised that the _Invincible_ must have emerged from that very island. And he remembered what the man said about the 'Path of Souls'. Did that have anything to do with what Terra did?

The second path led to a massive stone doorway, now open. He came to a halt near it, the adrenaline now leaching out of his system. That, and whatever inspired that brief manic turn. It might be dangerous in there, and he decided now was not quite the time to go charging in like a Gryffindor. At least not until he had others with him. He sagged down, sitting near the doors, and waited a little impatiently for the others to catch up.

He only had to wait for a few minutes before the others arrived, Mikoto in tow. He waved weakly. "Sorry about that, guys. I just had a pretty bad revelation happen to me earlier. That and the crash."

The teenaged boy with the tail, Zidane, smiled understandingly. "We've all had that happen lately. The bad revelations thing, anyway. You said your name is Harry, right? Where do you come from, Harry?"

"Initially? England, not that that's a place that means anything to you. If it helps, I'm from another world known as Earth. And apparently you, along with Mikoto, are from yet another world called Terra."

Zidane blinked. "You serious?"

"No, that's my godfather, and anyway, I was told by the dead souls of someone called Johan, and another called Brahne. They're both parents, one by blood, the other adopted, of someone called Princess Garnet."

A dark-haired girl, about Zidane's age, dressed in orange figure-hugging coveralls and a white shirt, stepped forward and bowed slightly, a morose expression on her face. Zidane indicated her. "That's Princess Garnet, aka Dagger. Sorry, but she's got a problem with her voice after everything we've been through, and I can't say I blame her one bit."

"I am Adelbert Steiner," a burly knight dressed in tarnished armour said pompously, approaching with a clank of his armour. "Captain of the Pluto Knights, and bodyguard to the princess."

"I am Freya Crescent," the elegant rat woman in a red uniform and wielding a spear said. "Dragon Knight of Burmecia."

"Vivi Ornitier," said a boy with a hat that shrouded his features in darkness, save for a pair of glowing yellow eyes. Even so, the effect was endearing rather than sinister. "Black Mage."

"The Flaming Amarant," a tall, muscular man with red dreadlocks and pale blue skin said.

"I Quina Quen!" spoke some strange monstrosity that looked like one fused a frog and a clown, and dressed the resulting pale-skinned, large-tongued creature in a feminine chef's outfit. "I Qu gourmand!"

"And I am Cid Fabool IX, Regent of Lindblum, _ribbit!_ " This came from a frog who seemed to have a long, crescent-like moustache and dressed in medieval clothing.

"Harry Potter, Boy Who Lived, and bloody tired," Harry said, before getting to his feet. "We'll have to have a little chinwag once this is over. Firstly, who are we trying to save, why does Kuja want her, and does anyone object me joining this little party?"

"Kuja is a scoundrel of the highest order!" Steiner exclaimed loudly, shaking a gauntlet-clad fist. "He is responsible for destroying much of Alexandria using the Eidolon Bahamut, as well as manipulating my queen into plunging our continent into war! He also extracted the Eidolons from Princess Garnet, and discarded her like offal!"

Zidane nodded. "He had us fetch this thing called a Gulug Stone, holding some of my friends hostage. He tried to renege on the deal, and stole Eiko, one of our friends, away. She's a summoner like Dagger here, and I think he's going to do to Eiko what he did to Dagger: extract Eiko's Eidolons. And while I've got a lot of questions, I guess we can use all the help we can get to save Eiko."

"Okay, succinct. Well then, I think we should get going. Then, afterwards, you can ask all the questions you like." And with that utterance, sure to be enigmatic to Zidane's little group, they all entered Mount Gulug, ready to save Eiko from the designs Kuja had on her. They just hoped that they weren't too late…

 **CHAPTER 4 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Sorry about the short chapter. Anyway, Harry and Mikoto have met Zidane and company. Hope you enjoyed. Harry's a bit manic partly because of the adrenaline and partly due to a very minor concussion. He's also been through a lot. Anyway, the next chapter have the events in Mount Gulug.**

 **Review-answering time!** **Akuma-Heika** **: Terra in the game is strongly hinted to be a far older world than Gaia. And your argument, frankly, is a silly one, especially as Garland murdered people who hadn't attacked him (Madain Sari). Being more advanced doesn't necessarily give you more right to survive. I view the Terrans as being similar to the Mondasian Cybermen in their debut** ** _Doctor Who_** **story** ** _The Tenth Planet_** **(which actually has a few parallels with the plot of** ** _Final Fantasy IX_** **): a race so utterly obsessed with its own survival, it doesn't give a shit about anyone else's survival. Even the few humans they save would be turned into Cybermen. The Mondasian Cybermen are figures of tragedy just as much as the Terrans are, but they are also evil. So too are the Terrans, or at least the ones who created Garland and derived the whole plans involving absorbing the lifeforce of other worlds. That being said, we will have in a later chapter a discussion with Mikoto about saving the Terran people, though Kuja, as in canon, will render the point moot. The issue isn't all black and white, after all.**

 **1\. A reference to Tidus' line from early in** ** _Final Fantasy X_** **.**


	6. Chapter 5: A Confrontation in Mt Gulug

**CHAPTER 5:**

 **A CONFRONTATION IN MOUNT GULUG**

Garnet, being unable to speak, and hampered in her ability to use her spells, took the time to watch the newcomers in combat and out of it as they descended through the derelict settlement of Mount Gulug. Harry fought with an abandon that seemed reckless at first blush. But she realised he fought rather intelligently, just a touch boldly. What was more, he used spells that she was sure she had never heard of before. When this was over, and if she regained her voice, she was going to ask him to teach her some of those spells. She saw a pain and weariness in his emerald eyes, but they still flashed with good humour and cheer, albeit somewhat as a mask.

Mikoto used a combination of standard Black and White Magic spells, marking her down as a Red Mage. Her face was normally impassive, but you saw bits of emotion leaking through. She also shot Harry looks, looks which Harry sometimes returned. Mikoto's seemed to be pleading, while Harry's seemed to be angry and disappointed. Some history had gone down between the two.

She had also remembered what Harry had asked Zidane when he first arrived. _Who are you? Zidane or Kuja?_ It sounded like a ludicrous question at first, but Garnet, when she thought about it, realised it was genuine. And she was sure that it meant that Zidane and Kuja were related on some level.

Zidane seemed to realise this, because as they began descending to one last level, Zidane asked, "Why did you ask me whether I was Zidane or Kuja?"

"Because you two, along with Mikoto here, come from the same world," Harry said. "In a way, you're Kuja's brother."

"Then where's his tail?" Zidane demanded.

"I dunno, I've never seen him before," Harry admitted. "Maybe he tucks it away."

"Harry, he wears what is basically a thong underneath some revealing robes," Zidane said. "It's possible, but it'd be hard to do."

"Why would Kuja deign to come to a place like this?" Freya asked, trying to change the uncomfortable subject.

"Mount Gulug's civilisation had Eidolons," Mikoto said in her flat monotone. "Garland wiped the inhabitants out and sealed it away. Kuja doubtless wants a powerful Eidolon to overthrow Garland, and even if he cannot find one here, there will probably be an Eidolon extraction circle. But the Eidolons can only be extracted safely when the summoner is over the age of 16."

Vivi yelped, "But Eiko's only six!"

"Then we'd better hurry!" Harry said.

* * *

They made it down to a walkway overlooking a large floor with a ritual circle on it. And it seemed that they were too late. Harry saw a small blue-haired girl with a horn protruding from her forehead in the middle of the circle, while a pair of jesters yelled ritual phrases. An effeminate, lavender-haired man watched on, dressed in robes that were still somewhat revealing, including what looked like a thong. This, presumably, was Kuja, and Harry had to admit, Zidane was right. Thinking about where Kuja hid his tail would be a fruitless and possibly maddening endeavour.

After a pair of triumphant shouts from the jesters (named by Steiner as Zorn and Thorn), Eiko's body convulsed, flared, and was still. But judging by the expressions on the faces of the two jesters, the ritual hadn't worked.

"Looks like there were technical difficulties," Harry murmured.

Garnet smiled, despite herself, at Harry's joke. Her face became firm, though, and she indicated the ritual circle below. Zidane nodded, and said, "Yeah, let's go save her."

As they descended stairs, they heard Zorn and Thorn bickering about who had screwed the ritual up. Kuja eventually interrupted, his high, cold voice (like Voldemort's, but more refined and poetic, Harry thought, and also sounding more like a young man who acted like a child) echoing up the stairs. "Will you two prattling imbeciles be silent?!" As the jesters started playing the blame game again, Kuja snarled, "I said be silent! Excuses are not what I want to hear. I can sense the power from within this summoner, and that means you will continue the extraction!"

"Continuing now will only endanger the subject's life!" bleated Zorn.

"Only after the age of sixteen can the Eidolons be extracted!" wailed Thorn.

"I don't care!" Kuja snapped. "Alexander was destroyed by that meddlesome fool Garland! Therefore, I need a more powerful Eidolon even than Alexander so that I can send him into the grave. His powers exceed mine by such a gargantuan factor, it is no laughing matter. And if I don't manage to overthrow him before Terra's plans succeed, my soul will no longer be my own! I care not if this girl lives! Extract that Eidolon I sense from her!"

They then heard Eiko reviving, and Zorn and Thorn expressing astonishment about a Moogle interfering with the process. Harry had met his first Moogle in the higher levels of Mount Gulug, a sort of teddy bear with pinkish-white fur, purple bat wings, and a red pom-pom. He heard a voice that was presumably Eiko begging for Mog (presumably the Moogle in question) to flee, even as Kuja demanded that the Moogle be killed. Then, just as Harry and the others made it to the last level, a blinding light dazzled them. Through it, they saw Eiko, staring at the glowing outline of a Moogle in shock, while Zorn and Thorn snarled simultaneously that they would be put to death. Kuja had moved away by this point, observing things from a distance, but with an odd look on his face.

But then, the Moogle transformed, becoming a massive, leonine creature with a pair of purple bat-like wings on its back. " _I AM MADEEN!_ " it roared. " _AND FOR YOUR CRIMES AGAINST MY SUMMONER, IT IS YOU WHO ARE CONDEMNED TO DEATH!_ " The entity waved its massive paws, ribbons of blue light ensnaring the two jesters, who wailed in fear, but to no avail. " ** _TERRA HOMING!_** " Madeen bellowed, before the jesters disappeared with a scream in a flare of bright blue light. Their charred remains, fused together, hit the floor with a meaty wet thump.

Madeen then turned, and helped Eiko up gently. Eiko looked up at the beast, her eyes wide, even as Zidane and the others rushed through. "Mog…you were an Eidolon all this time?" she whispered in awe and astonishment.

The beast nodded. " _I wanted to be by your side, Eiko, so I became Mog._ " Madeen seemed to smile. " _Don't be sad. I'll always watch over you,_ kupo." Then, the Eidolon shimmered and faded, a ribbon left in its place.

As Eiko took the ribbon, she then noticed Zidane. "Zidane!" she yelped. She soon noticed Harry and Mikoto. "And you've got some new guys with you."

"Never mind about them, are you okay?"

The young girl nodded, her face falling. "Mog protected me. I never knew she was the Eidolon Madeen. She always looked after me, disguised as a Moogle. Even though…" Her voice caught in her throat. "Even though she was weak…she did her best to protect me." She looked at the ribbon. "Mog's ribbon," she murmured morosely.

Harry looked over to Kuja, who was gaping at Eiko almost comically, clearly an expression he didn't usually have. Mikoto joined Harry. "Kuja," she said.

Kuja looked over at them, and frowned. "Another Genome. And another one with a soul, it seems. My, my, Garland is getting careless with his Angels of Death." He looked over at Eiko, and then said, in a quiet, thoughtful tone, "It wasn't just a transformation back into the form of an Eidolon. That damnable Moogle _went into a Trance!_ "

"What the hell do you mean?" Harry asked.

"A Trance is a temporary transformation, granting enhanced power for a brief period, though in that Eidolon, it clearly induced a permanent transformation," Mikoto said. "It only occurs in a few people, and always due to a surge of emotion."

"But not just the will to live, or the desire to protect another," Kuja mused. "I saw that Moogle's face when it transformed. Trance is at its most powerful, its most _complete_ , with an eruption of anger at one's surroundings." His face split into a smirk. "That means I don't need the Eidolons anymore! All I need is a particularly powerful soul, even if it isn't my own! And I know just where to get one!" He laughed triumphantly.

"Kuja!" Zidane yelled. "What the hell are you plotting now?"

"It doesn't concern you now," Kuja sneered. "I am done with you."

"Wait!" Vivi yelled, pursuing the effeminate man as the remains of Zorn and Thorn twitched and spasmed.

Kuja shot one last parting remark as Zorn and Thorn's twisted remains began to grow, twisting and contorting. "Don't worry, I'm sure these two will entertain you with their fine little act." His laughter echoed back at them as the creature that was once Zorn and Thorn loomed over them all.

* * *

Kuja chuckled to himself as he made his way out of Esto Gaza, having used a secret route to escape Mount Gulug. He'd left the Black Mages there, after giving a cruel taunt about how he couldn't extend their lifespans, and he had been lying. He had also left Lady Hilda behind. He needed to flee and put his plan to re-enter Terra for the first time in years into action. He needed to go to Ipsen's Castle, and then to the Four Shrines. He had gotten the Guardians of Terra on side long ago, he just needed to bide his time and get some sort of power before attempting to confront Garland.

Of course, his plan required him to infiltrate Terra and get to the _Invincible_. He needed to absorb souls to allow him to enter into a Trance, something that he was never able to do. He suspected Garland was at fault: Kuja had been ensouled as an adult, whereas Zidane was allowed to mature, and so, he didn't have enough development to enter a Trance.

As he marched down the slopes towards the _Hilda Garde_ , he wondered what that other Genome was doing there, along with that dark-haired teenager. The latter was certainly no native of Terra. But the girl most definitely was, and ensouled, though she was almost as impassive as those soulless drones populating Bran Bal! Another Angel of Death, slipping Garland's grasp. But how did it happen?

He soon got part of the answer as he came around a bend in the path from Esto Gaza. He had been wondering about the plumes of smoke in the air, and had idly wondered whether Zidane and his friends had damaged that ship they were using in their quixotic pursuit of him. But then, he saw the _Invincible_ in a massive furrow of snow. Part of him noted that this must have been how the other Genome must've escaped Terra. The rest of him was resisting the urge to start dancing around with glee. He had the _Invincible_ , the very craft he needed to gain the souls he required. And it could also move back across the dimensional gateway to Terra.

He dashed for the hatch, mindful that Zidane and his fellow meddlers would soon emerge. The acrid smell of smoke and the sour tang of the fire suppressant systems reached his nose as he entered the ship, though thankfully, the latter had done its job already, and oxygen had been recirculated through the ship. A mere mephitic residue, practically harmless, remained.

He rushed through to the bridge, and checked the status of the self-repair systems and the diagnostics of the _Invincible_ itself. Soon, it came up. Basic drive systems and life-support had been restored, so the _Invincible_ could fly. The cross-dimensional systems were still being repaired, though, along with the weapons systems, but Kuja could wait a little longer. He activated the drive systems, and was gratified to feel the massive airship lifting off. The engines didn't sound that healthy, but as long as they did their job, he could cope.

A chuckle began to worm itself from out of his throat. The chuckle turned into laughter, into great guffaws of triumph. He knew that soon, soon he would be able to overthrow Garland and take over Terra for his own. At last, his goals were within reach. And nothing and nobody could stop him. Not Garland. Not Zidane or his merry little band. And not his newly-escaped sister Genome.

In his hubris, Kuja dismissed not only Zidane and his friends, which was bad enough, and Mikoto, but also Harry. But he didn't care. He just howled in triumphant laughter as the Invincible ascended into the skies, a premonition of his own ascent, from Angel of Death, to a God…

 **CHAPTER 5 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **God, these things are flying out of me now. Hope you enjoyed it. I decided to gloss over the fight with Meltigemini, simply because I'm shit at writing battle scenes.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	7. Chapter 6: A Glimmer of Hope

**CHAPTER 6:**

 **A GLIMMER OF HOPE**

As they took the airship back to Lindblum, Harry reflected that it had been, to say the least, a hectic day. He escaped from another world only to crash-land in another, he had to save a girl from having powerful magical creatures extracted from her by an effeminate murderous maniac and a pair of jesters, watched as said jesters got blown away by the transformed form of a teddy bear-like creature, and then had to fight said jesters as a hideous monster.

After that, they had found a woman by the name of Lady Hilda, who turned out to be Cid's wife. Harry heard the story from Zidane, and had to chuckle. Hilda had caught Cid in bed with another woman, and had turned him into a vile insect known as an Oglop in response (him being a frog now was due to an unsuccessful attempt to reverse the condition). She had then stormed off with the _Hilda Garde_ , an experimental airship named for her, and which could travel on steam power, rather than the Mist that used to blanket their continent until very recently. Hilda and her airship had been captured by Kuja, and used for his vile deeds. The airship, anyway. Apparently all Kuja wanted Hilda for was someone to monologue to.

Half the expedition sent to deal with Kuja left on the ship they had arrived on, the _Blue Narcissus_. However, Harry, Mikoto, Vivi, Zidane and Garnet, along with the Black Mages, Cid, and Hilda, were travelling on the _Hilda Garde_. The _Invincible_ had disappeared, presumably taken by Kuja.

Mikoto sat next to Harry in one of the state rooms of the _Hilda Garde_. At first, Harry was resistant to the idea, but then, he realised something. He had just kidnapped her from a home that was all she knew. True, she was complicit in a plan to assimilate this world, but she had no other perspective to speak of. She may have been as homesick as he was. And she genuinely seemed to like him. It seemed like she needed comfort just by being near him, and after some time of shying away from her, he allowed her to lean into him a little.

He remembered what she said. She had asked to be his friend. She had been lonely, knowing only Garland and the other Genomes, and those had been bereft of souls. And while his anger towards her concealing the truth from him never really went away, it did recede. Especially as Garland had treated her as disposable. He even put an arm around her shoulder to comfort her. She stiffened briefly at the contact, before subsiding. He felt her tail gently stroke at his back, as if trying to get some comfort from it.

Garnet entered, and sat down opposite the two. Harry thought that, even though she was in mufti, she still had the regal bearing of a princess. And the beauty of one, at least of the sort in fairy tales.

She opened her mouth a few times, as if trying to say something. After some time, her voice came out, a croaking rasp, a parody of what it probably once was, but her voice nonetheless. "Who…are you?"

Harry looked at her, before he said, "Like I said, I'm Harry Potter."

"I am Mikoto," Mikoto said.

Garnet looked at them, before she said, in that same croaking rasp, "That is not what I meant. You said that Gaia is in danger."

"It's a long story, and it's best if everyone hears it," Harry said. "However, I was telling the truth when I said I came from another world."

"Your magic is very different to ours," Garnet observed. "I have seen many strange things, Harry, especially of late, and I can believe you come from another world." Her eyes went over to Mikoto. "And Mikoto…you are related to Zidane?"

"We are of the same people. Genetically, we are not brother and sister, but he, along with Kuja, shares something with me. We have souls."

"Genetically?" Garnet asked.

"She means biologically, they're not actually close relatives," Harry explained, mentally thanking Hermione for lessons on biology. But how to explain such a concept to someone who lived in a fantasy world that was apparently close to medieval times, even by the standards of Magical Britain? "Their name, Genome, comes from the name for…a blueprint for life, I guess? It's like a blueprint that determines things like your eye and hair colour, amongst other things. In Zidane and Mikoto's case, it also gives them a tail."

"I have never heard of such a term," Garnet remarked. Her voice was becoming less raspy and more melodious with use.

"It might not exist on this world yet. Where I live, science and technology are advanced, and magic is hidden."

After a moment, Garnet said, "That airship you came in on, the one that crashed…I think I saw it before."

Mikoto nodded. "You are a survivor of Madain Sari. It was that ship, the _Invincible_ , used to lay waste to it. It was also used at Alexandria."

By now, the rasp had almost left Garnet's voice. A look of pensive horror came over this face, as she murmured, "And all this time, I thought it merely a monstrous eye in the sky. But why did they do that?"

"Garland, the leader of Terra, feared the power of the Eidolons," Mikoto said. "Kuja knew of that fear, which was why he wished to take some for his own. Garland took control of the _Invincible_ away from Kuja, and destroyed the Eidolon Alexander, to thwart Kuja."

"Did Garland tell you that?" Harry asked.

Mikoto nodded mutely. "I…heard what he said over the radio from where you left me, too. I…I…" Her voice caught in her throat. A sob escaped her lips, and she put her head into her hands.

Harry looked at Garnet, who was trying to follow this, as he tried to comfort the Genome. "Garland is the leader of Terra. He is as much an enemy of you guys as Kuja. I learned of what Terra intended and escaped, but had to bring Mikoto along. Garland threatened to shoot the airship we were in down, even with Mikoto inside. He pretty much did. We barely escaped."

The door opened, and Zidane walked in, looking tired. He sat down next to Garnet, and said, to her more than anything, "Vivi's talking to the other Black Mages. We'll drop by the Black Mage Village, let them head back home. Bloody Kuja, yanking their chain like that. Are you all right, Dagger?"

"I am better, Zidane," she replied. Her voice was apparently back to normal, a lovely, musical thing that gladdened the hearts of those who heard it.

"Whoa, you can talk again! Man, what a relief! I was worried I was never going to hear your voice again," Zidane said, smiling at the princess.

"I have been speaking to Harry and Mikoto. They have spoken of strange things. They intend to fully enlighten all of us once we reach Lindblum."

Zidane nodded, before looking over at Mikoto. "So, I have a little sister."

Mikoto shook her head. "Not exactly. That was how Harry introduced us. As far as I know, we are not that strongly related. A better analogy would be distant cousin. Kuja is like us, a Genome, but with a soul."

"Jee-gnome?" Zidane asked.

"It's the name of your people," Harry said. "Named for the blueprint within your body that determines how it grows and stuff. Most of the Genomes don't have souls. It's a very long story, but the upshot is, Garland, the guy in charge of Terra, made you, Kuja, and Mikoto to be his 'Angels of Death', to cause havoc in Gaia. We'll explain the details later."

"So, how did you end up on Terra, if you do not mind my asking?" Garnet asked. "Forgive my rudeness, but you seem to be a normal human, albeit a mage of substantial skill. I do believe you came from another world."

"Again, it's a long story. But you know what? I'll talk about it. Not like we've got much to do…"

* * *

Mikoto, Harry knew, had heard this story before. He gave as brief an account as he could of his life. How his parents were murdered by Voldemort, and how Voldemort himself was vanquished by Harry, or rather, his mother's actions prior to his death. How he spent ten years as the live-in servant of the Dursleys. How he learned he was a wizard, and quite famous in the hidden society of Magical Britain. Of his first three years, and the incidents that happened. Of his friends. Of the Tri-Wizard Tournament, and how it turned out to be a massive trap. Of Voldemort's rebirth, and the duel in the graveyard. And finally, of how Harry tried to escape, only for one of the Death Eaters (he was sure Pettigrew was the one to try it) to hit the Portkey with a spell.

Garnet and Zidane were astonished by the end of it. "To have gone through so much, and not through any fault of your own," Garnet murmured.

"Yeah. I mean, I've had a pretty exciting life, but part of that's because I've gone out and had adventures," Zidane said. "Sounds like life has it in for you, Harry. Well, it has it in for all of us, really, but you especially."

Harry shook his head. "I just wish I could talk to my friends. Hermione, Ron, Neville, the twins and Ginny…Sirius and Remus…or maybe a teacher, like Dumbledore, or McGonagall. Or Hagrid. Hell, I wish I could call for Dobby, because even…"

Suddenly, there was a _crack!_ , and Dobby appeared out of the air. The bat-eared, bulging-eyed House Elf said, "I'm here, Mister Harry…" He blinked when he realised where he was, doing a double-take when he saw who he was in front of. "Mister Harry Potter sir?" he asked, almost disbelieving.

"Whoa, Dobby, I…how did you end up here?"

"House Elf magic, Mister Harry Potter sir," Dobby said a little blankly, before he suddenly threw his arms around Harry. "Mister Harry Potter!" he yelped. "Oh, Dobby thoughts you were dead! So did the others! The Wheezys and Hermy-Lonely and the Headmaster and…"

"Dobby, Dobby, calm down. I'm here, I'm alive. I ended up in another world. I've got myself caught up in another adventure. But I'm really glad to see you. Would you be able to take me back home when the time comes?"

"Dobby thinks so. Mister Harry Potter does not wants to go now?"

"I'm in the middle of something. Something more important even than Voldemort, I think." Harry looked around, before finding paper and a quill on a nearby desk. He began to write a brief letter. "I'll use you to exchange letters with the others, if that's all right. Let my friends know I'm fine. Same with Dumbledore, McGonagall, Hagrid, Sirius and Remus. Tell them I'll write a longer letter when I've had time to get things straight in my head. It's been a busy couple of days. Oh, and could you bring back a camera or something?"

Dobby nodded, and took the letter eagerly when Harry finished it. Garnet asked, "Harry, what is this strange person?"

"This is Dobby, a House Elf, and a friend." Dobby smiled, waved at Garnet and the others, and then disappeared. Harry continued, "Our society, sadly, uses his kind as servants. They're happy to serve for the most part, but a lot of people take them for granted. Or worse, treat them like punching bags. Dobby was abused by his old master, and I managed to free him."

"He looked a bit like a Goblin, actually," Zidane mused. "The Goblins here are thieves and bandits, though."

Harry laughed. "Well, in my world, Goblins are bankers!"

Zidane's gape was a sight to behold, and Harry and Garnet laughed. Even Mikoto, despite her depression, giggled. With that, a little of the tension that had been in the room had been dispelled.

But for how long?

* * *

A little over a week had passed since Harry Potter's disappearance, along with that of Cedric Diggory. In that time, Snape had gone to Voldemort, and had received some intelligence, having learned that while Diggory had definitely died at Pettigrew's hands, Potter had vanished, albeit via a Portkey that had a spell shot at it. Dumbledore didn't know whether this meant Harry was alive, only that his death was considerably uncertain. Trying to reprogram a Portkey as it was being activated was ill-advised, and it meant Harry could, almost literally, be anywhere. And that included many destinations that could be lethal, from the centre of the Earth to the depths of space, and a brief sojourn high in the sky with no broomstick or parachute to help.

Dumbledore looked at the instruments showing Harry's status, all ominously still. And as was his wont to do in these hours, he found himself thinking about the decisions he made regarding Harry Potter, and found them wanting. He did what he thought was best at the time, but had failed miserably in retrospect. This year's events had thrown that into sharp relief.

He also had a Death Eater who had been a spy in Hogwarts: Barty Crouch Junior. They had only found this out by accident, when Dumbledore had happened to stumble upon Alastor Moody brewing Polyjuice Potion. He had detained the man, and soon found out what had happened to the real one. Sadly, Barty Crouch Junior was Kissed by a Dementor the Minister had brought with him, and the claims of the Death Eater were dismissed as the products of lunacy. Fudge refused to even consider the possibility that Voldemort was back, though he did acknowledge the possibility that some rogue Death Eaters may have murdered both Harry and Cedric Diggory.

He wasn't expecting any good news about Harry Potter, so when Dobby appeared in his office, he was startled when the House Elf announced, "Mister Harry Potter is alive!"

Dumbledore shot up from his chair. "What did you say, Dobby?!"

"Mister Harry Potter sir is alive! He's on another world!" He waved an envelope in his hand. "He wants you to tells his friends! The Wheezys and Hermy-Lonely and all his other friends! He says he will writes another letter later." He placed the envelope on the desk.

After a moment, Dumbledore said, quietly, in a voice teeming with emotion, "Thank you, Dobby. Is he well?"

"Yes! And on another adventure! Can Dobby goes now?"

Dumbledore nodded. And as the House Elf vanished, Dumbledore let out a sigh, and then, a chuckle of relief. Harry was alive! Maybe now, Dumbledore could make up for the mistakes he had made…

 **CHAPTER 6 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Dobby has arrived! Now, I had this idea for Dobby being able to bring things between worlds from the same idea I had while writing the latest chapter of** ** _Cycle of Sin_** **, which, while finished some time before this chapter, inspired what was to become this one (said chapter of** ** _Cycle of Sin_** **will be published with my one-year anniversary update). I wondered whether I should bring Dobby in earlier, but decided it wouldn't have worked.**

 **Harry isn't abandoning his friends back home by any means. But he's got that whole 'saving people thing', and having learned of Terra's plot, which is on a whole different scale to Voldemort and the Death Eaters, he feels like he needs to help them in some way. I also decided this isn't going to be a Dumbledore-bashing story. His poor decisions will be scrutinised, sure, but he's not a villain in this work.**

 **Review-answering time! Jostanos: Yes, and yes.**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	8. Chapter 7: Strange Tales to Tell

**CHAPTER 7:**

 **STRANGE TALES TO TELL**

Harry woke reluctantly, at least at first. He was warm, he was comfortable, and it felt like he was in a really good bed. It was when he realised that someone was in bed with him, though, that he began to wake up in more haste. Said someone had their arms around him.

As gently as he could, he slid out from their grasp, provoking a quiet moan of discontent, from far down in the depths of sleep. As he got off the bed, he wriggled around to look at the intruder, only to find that it was Mikoto! Thankfully, the two of them were fully dressed, albeit in pyjamas. Harry had heard more than a few of his dorm-mates bragging about (possibly fabricated) sexual conquests, but he wasn't even fifteen yet (and, as far as he knew, neither was Mikoto for that matter)! It wouldn't be long now: the Third Task was on the 24th of June, and he was sure, by now, that it was at least the 3rd of July(1). It wasn't that he didn't want experience it, it's just that he wanted to wait until he was a bit older, find the right person first, not to mention have a longer-term friendship beforehand.

Did Mikoto count as a friend? He considered that carefully as he walked through the VERY luxurious bedroom (memory came back to him: he was in Lindblum Castle now, and he and Mikoto had been shown to this guest bedroom by Cid) and into the bathroom, taking a set of new clothes Cid had obtained for him with him. As he showered, he thought about it. After that business in Mount Gulug, Mikoto seemed to cling to him, and he realised it was because he was the only familiar thing in a world she had only heard of. Well, him and Zidane and Kuja, but she had only known her fellow Genomes by reputation until now, whereas with him, she had known him for about a week. Not that long, truly, but he was more familiar to her than her own brothers.

Was he angry with her? No. Not anymore. The anger had faded away by now, partly because he could see how much it hurt her. As complicit as she was in Garland's plan, she didn't deserve it. It was all she knew, and as far as she was concerned, she was helping saving her people. She didn't know the Gaians, couldn't understand that they had every right to live as the Terrans, if not more so. The Terrans' technological advancement was astonishing, true, but it didn't give you licence to discard morality for the sake of survival, not unless the Gaians were equally as bad. And as far as he could tell, this wasn't the case.

No, he didn't feel anger towards Mikoto. If anything, he felt sorry for her. In fact, he felt sympathy for her. Like him, he had been ripped by circumstances from everything she knew. And because he was the one who took her from Terra, he felt responsible for her.

He had just finished his shower, and finished dressing, when the bathroom door (which he had left unlocked, thinking Mikoto would still sleep), opened. Mikoto was already divested of her sleepwear, and though Harry had seen her naked a couple of times when she had entered the sleeping tanks on Terra, it still caused embarrassment. Without a word, he left, leaving her to shower. Unlike him, she did so quickly, and emerged, still donning her clothing. Mikoto had merely requested that the servants of Lindblum Castle launder the clothing she wore on Terra, and they had done so.

"Why were you sleeping in my bed?" Harry asked.

"It was too cold," Mikoto said. "I required warmth."

Harry was a little sceptical about that. The sleeping tanks were admittedly extremely comfortable, the breathable liquid being warmed to a very comfortable temperature, but the beds here were also warm and comfortable. He suspected Mikoto wanted to be close to his presence, but didn't comment on that suspicion. Instead, he patted the bed as he sat down on it. Mikoto, after a moment, sat down next to him.

"Mikoto…I'm sorry for taking you from your home," Harry admitted. "I just…I was so angry when I found out the truth. I've been lied to so many times in my life. What you and Garland did, it was the last straw. The only thing I want to know is…when you asked me whether you could be my friend, was that a lie?"

"No," Mikoto said. "I…it was strange, that time. Garland emphasised logic rather than instinct when he taught me how to make decisions. And yet, I followed an impulse to ask you if I could be your friend. I think it was because you were something new on Terra. Nothing new ever happens there. I never quite realised that until you fell out of the sky with your friend. You were different, and I desired your company because of that. Perhaps I felt something akin to some sort of xenophilia. You were different, new, and I wanted your company because of that. And…that is one of the reasons I stayed silent about what Terra intends to do. Because I was afraid of losing that."

Harry shook his head. "Garland has to be stopped. Okay, I can accept that Terra needs to survive. But not at the expense of a whole other world, not by stealing the souls of Gaia and substituting Terran souls for it. There's got to be another way."

"Garland is far older than you or I," Mikoto said. "He is older even than most civilisations on Gaia. If there was another way, he would have tried it."

Harry scowled. "I doubt it. He's a machine in the end. I'd bet the Terran leadership thought of this plan for draining other worlds. They probably programmed him not to be able to think of another way. Or maybe he just doesn't care. But there should be another way."

Mikoto fell silent for a time, before saying, "I am sorry for keeping that from you. You know my reasons. Whether they are good or not is irrelevant now. The only thing I want from you is a promise. To do what you can to save my people. Garland, for all you perceive him to be a monster, is a caretaker for my people. But Kuja intends to dominate them and keep the plan going himself, or else destroy them, and rule over Gaia. Kuja must be stopped. On that, we can all agree."

Harry could agree with that, and he could understand that she wanted to safeguard her people. He put an arm around her shoulder, and drew her in for a comforting hug. And she accepted it.

* * *

Dobby came back later that morning. Apparently he had received a lot of letters to give to Harry, as well as the camera he wanted. Sirius, who was now living at his old home of 12 Grimmauld Place, had been the one to send it (a magical Polaroid camera, in fact), along with a hastily-scribbled note saying _Happy 15_ _th_ _birthday, Harry, even if it's a bit early. Hope to see you soon, and if you manage any pranks, I want evidence! Love, Padfoot_.

The letters from Ron and Hermione were begging for him to come back soon. Dumbledore's and Remus' were more reserved, filled with relief more than anything else. Hagrid's was a scrawled mess of egregious relief. All wanted details of what was happening.

Harry decided to write the letter for Dobby to take once he got the photos. Apparently Dumbledore was using Sirius' house as a base of operations to fight against Voldemort, so hopefully everyone would be in one place. With their permission, he began taking photos of the people he ended up with, Hilda even consenting to take a group photo. Zidane mugged and gurned for the camera, but the others showed more reserve. He also took a few photos of Lindblum and its skyline, taken from an observatory level of the vast castle. He was disturbed to see that much of Lindblum had been recently destroyed. Zidane, who had been escorting Harry around the castle, confided that Garnet's Eidolons, after being stolen from her, had been used in Queen Brahne's war to conquer the Mist Continent, and the damage done to Lindblum had been done by a massive Eidolon known as Atomos.

They were led down to a conference hall, where the people Harry and Mikoto met were waiting. Cid had been restored to his human form by Hilda. Harry noted the authority the man with the iron grey hair and crescent-shaped moustache had. He was apparently not just the ruler of Lindblum, but a talented engineer as well, having actually designed the _Hilda Garde_. He still emitted a few croaks, and even a couple of guttural noises that turned out to be those of Oglops.

"I was going to leave to supervise the construction of the _Hilda Garde 3_ , but as we have two new guests who may be able to shed further light on what Hilda has already told me, I thought I would remain for the time being," the Regent of Lindblum said.

"I shall go first," Hilda said, an aristocratic blonde-haired young woman who reminded Harry a little of a younger and better-natured Narcissa Malfoy. "Some parts of this story may be hard for many of you to believe. However, I assure you it is all true, and Cid has told me that Harry and Mikoto have already made claims that confirm what I will say. Kuja intends to use this world in order to gain a greater power."

"Greater power?" Zidane mused. "What would he do with it?"

"I don't know. He indicated that he wasn't of this world."

"So did Harry and Mikoto," Garnet pointed out. "They said that Mikoto, Zidane, and Kuja come from another world called Terra."

Hilda nodded. "That is, indeed, what Kuja called his world. Terra is connected to our world via the Shimmering Island. However, one cannot simply cross over with ease."

"That is the case," Mikoto said. "There are defences made to prevent any inhabitants of Gaia accidentally accessing the dimensional bridge."

"Well then, Mikoto, was it? Would you kindly tell us about Terra?"

Mikoto nodded, albeit somewhat morosely. She then looked at them all. "Terra is a far, far older world than Gaia. Long before the most distant of your ancestors turned the first wheel, we turned space travel into a thing for idle children to play with(2). What we thought was our greatest triumph, however, was our greatest failure. We wished to create eternal life and prosperity for everyone who lived on Terra's surface. However, it merely accelerated the decay of the crystal of our world, the crystal from which all life springs, and to which all life must return. It disrupted the normal cycle of souls all worlds have."

"I think we heard some of this. I mean, in bits and bobs," Zidane mused. "Kuja sent us to some place called Oeilvert, and we saw records here and there. There was also this room filled with faces and things speaking to us about a dying world. That was Terra, right?"

Mikoto nodded. "Oeilvert was a museum from our world. When Terra failed to fuse properly with Gaia, many structures ended up on your world's surface. Oeilvert, the palace in which Kuja took residence, the Mirror Castle…"

"Do you mean Ipsen's Castle?" Hilda asked.

Mikoto shrugged. "Perhaps. It contains the means to break the seal over the dimensional gateway on this end."

"Then it is Ipsen's Castle. Kuja spoke to me about it. Forgive my interruption, Mikoto. Please continue."

Mikoto nodded, and then continued. "The decision was made by the original Terrans to absorb the lifeforce of other worlds in order to stave off their own end. The first fusions with other worlds were successful. However, these were with very young, primordial worlds. After these fusions, we could not find a suitable world within a safe distance to travel to. Our best option was to attempt fusion with Gaia, which already had a small but flourishing civilisation and a more established soul cycle. It was a risk, but our survival was paramount, and Gaia was but a millennium old. The forceful fusion was a disaster. Most of the civilisations on your world were devastated."

"The Great Cataclysm of yore," Freya remarked. "So that was caused by Terra."

"Yes. Many of our structures ended up in your world, as mentioned before. Terra ended up within Gaia, albeit held within a pocket dimension. Garland, who had already been created, was assigned to be the caretaker of the Terran people. The Terrans discarded their original bodies, their souls put into stasis, in order to conserve energy. And the integration of the soul cycles of Gaia and Terra began. The Iifa Tree was one of the key components of the process. The roots reach Gaia's crystal. It is what keeps the process going."

"But we stopped the Mist, we killed that Soulcage thing," Vivi said.

"The Soulcage was merely a means of producing the Mist from the stagnant Gaian souls," Mikoto said. "It was used to try and accelerate the assimilation process by using Mist to increase the amount of wars, and thus of death. The Soulcage was not placed into the Iifa Tree until a thousand years ago. Garland began making the first Genomes three thousand years ago, partly in order to refine the process so that our bodies were optimal to receive the Terran souls, though he also had us as servants."

"…So where do I and Kuja fit into this?" Zidane asked. "You said something about us being 'Angels of Death'."

"Garland became more frustrated with the slow assimilation. He wanted an agent to do his bidding. While creating Kuja, he accidentally ensouled him. Garland decided it was a happy accident, but given his personality was fully-formed without a childhood, and had a strong will and was potentially a threat, he made Kuja mortal. Barring accidents or malice, we Genomes are immortal. However, while he let Kuja begin to cause conflict on Gaia, he began developing another Genome as an Angel of Death, this one who would experience childhood." Mikoto looked at Zidane. "You."

Zidane, after a moment, said, "What happened to me?"

"When you were still an infant, Kuja, believing you to be his replacement, took you to Gaia and discarded you. In retaliation, Garland forbade Kuja from travelling between Gaia and Terra. He could use a remote control to call upon the _Invincible_ , but if he returned, Garland threatened to kill him. It was on Garland's orders that Madain Sari was destroyed by Kuja."

"Kuja must've become obsessed with finding more powerful Eidolons," Garnet mused. "We heard him saying he needed a powerful Eidolon to kill Garland, though for some reason, he seemed to think that a Trance would be better."

"Kuja is incapable of entering Trance," Mikoto said. "Garland considered him a failure for that reason, amongst others. It is due to the lack of psychological development."

"Can you enter Trance, Mikoto?" Zidane asked.

"I have done it but once, during battle against a monster who wandered into Bran Bal a year previously," Mikoto said. "I was surprised that I could at the time. Kuja should be incapable of entering Trance, but I think I know how he can bypass that. He spoke of needing other souls. We Genomes can hold multiple souls, albeit with one in control. Kuja took the _Invincible_ , and will presumably use some of the souls within to help him achieve Trance. Indeed, if he uses multiple souls, he may achieve a level of Trance no other being, save for perhaps another Genome, could achieve."

The thought sent a collective shudder through those present. It was then that they resolved to make plans to get to Terra and stop Kuja. After all, the man may not be content with conquering one world, but indeed, could conquer two…

 **CHAPTER 7 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **An exposition chapter, with a lot of the information taken from the Final Fantasy Wiki (and much of it only implied in the game: the information mostly came from the** ** _Final Fantasy IX_** **Ultimania Guide). I did make that up about Terra assimilating planets before Gaia, but it's still a possibility.**

 **Review-answering time!** **lokarryn** **: Wait and see.**

 **Regarding Dumbledore-bashing: I'm not fond of it, though I have done it for some of my stories. But only when it serves the story to have an evil Dumbledore. Oddly enough, I can't bash Ron Weasley. I can write some unflattering things, yes, and point out his issues, but I can't write the villainous version that appears in many fanfics.**

 **1\. According to a timeline on the Harry Potter Wiki, the Third Task was on June 24** **th** **, 1995. This particular chapter is set during July 3** **rd** **.**

 **2\. Mikoto is echoing something of the First Doctor's words in the original pilot version (as opposed to the actual transmitted version) of the very first** ** _Doctor Who_** **episode,** ** _An Unearthly Child_** **.**


	9. Chapter 8: Letters and Locks

**CHAPTER 8:**

 **LETTERS AND LOCKS**

Dumbledore read the letter from Harry. He had taken the time to include a selection of photos. It did his heart good to know that Harry was alive and well, more or less. And on another world, of all things! And what an odd variety of people there were. There were some humans, a couple of human-like people about Harry's age with tails, a young girl with a horn on her forehead like a unicorn, a rat-like but undeniably elegant and noble (attributes normally not attributed to rats) woman, a boy with no visible facial features save for a pair of glowing yellow eyes peering out from beneath a pointed hat, and a strange, pale, dumpy creature with a protruding tongue. The pictures seemed to have been taken in some sort of castle or palace, albeit one with technology that would not look too out of place in Magical Britain for the most part.

The letter read as follows:

 _Dear Everyone,_

 _Sorry to make you guys worry. And sorry I only wrote a quick letter initially. Had a lot to do. It's been a VERY busy last few days. So, I'd better get right down to it._

 _I said in my last letter, someone hit the Portkey with a spell, sending me into another world. That world was called Terra. I was found and helped by a couple of the people there. They took some sort of soul fragment from out of my scar, so I guess that link with Voldemort is gone. I think that's whose soul it was, anyway. I can still speak Parseltongue, I checked, but I'm not getting any little visions from his eyes._

Dumbledore, upon reading it, sighed in relief. He would have to redact that part of the letter for the moment: it would not do to have knowledge of the Horcruxes to float around, even amongst his allies. But it also meant that Dumbledore would not be forced to make Harry martyr himself, something Dumbledore wasn't sure he could avoid. He would have to check to make sure, as the Parseltongue was still there, and Dumbledore was sure Harry had that from Voldemort in the first place. But at least that was one less regret he would have if he was right. He returned to the letter…

 _Anyway, I found out that Terra was trying to assimilate another world called Gaia. I escaped Terra to Gaia, and took one of those who found me, Mikoto, with me. She's the girl with the tail and the pink clothing, in case you're wondering. I've marked their names down on the photos anyway. Once we ended up in Gaia, we hooked up with those other people you saw in the photos. They were pursuing some guy called Kuja. Kuja, Zidane, and Mikoto are all natives of Terra, called 'Genomes'. Hermione, if it wasn't a vampire planet, you'd_ _ **love**_ _Terra. Anyway, Zidane is one of the good guys, while Kuja? He's apparently caused more death and destruction than_ _ **Voldemort**_ _._

 _From what I can see, Gaia's basically like something out of some fantasy novel. They've got basic electricity and steam power, especially here in Lindblum (that's a city, by the way), but that's it. Magic's not hidden, though. Eiko and Princess Garnet are both summoners, able to summon magical creatures called Eidolons. Vivi is a Black Mage. He's actually quite a nice kid. Reminds me a lot of Neville. Oh, and Sirius? See that woman who looks like a rat? That's Lady Freya Crescent, Dragon Knight of Burmecia. And believe me, she's the complete opposite of Pettigrew. She's nice, brave, and polite. And she can also turn you into a shish-kebab if you annoy her, as she's damn good with a spear._

 _I'll talk about the details when I get home. Hopefully, I can get Dobby to ferry me back. But we've got both Kuja and Garland to deal with. Garland's the man in charge of Terra. And I don't want to leave without making sure Gaia's all right. Sorry. Hopefully, I can get this mess sorted before I come back to Hogwarts in a couple of months. Please tell me that Voldemort isn't launching a reign of terror or anything. I miss you all._

 _Yours,_

 _Harry Potter_

 _PS. They've got a really different magic system over here. Maybe I should send a few books back or something. I should also send a bestiary to Hagrid: he'd be fascinated._

Dumbledore sighed in relief again. Although by staying in Gaia, Harry risked the blood wards around the Dursleys' home collapsing, the truth was, he was safer (from Voldemort and his followers, at least) on Gaia than he was here. And if necessary, they could use Gaia as a refuge, always assuming that this conflict Harry had gotten himself embroiled in could be resolved.

Harry seemed to get himself into trouble on a regular basis. But his heart wouldn't allow him to abandon those he wanted to protect. Thankfully, Voldemort was laying low for the moment. But Dumbledore knew that that wouldn't last. Harry needed to come back to Hogwarts when the time arrived once more.

Still, he would need to share the letter, and most of its contents, with Harry's friends and loved ones. At least they would be pleased to know Harry was in relatively high spirits…

* * *

Garnet had persuaded Zidane, Mikoto, and Harry to take her incognito to Alexandria (via airship), though she did leave a note for Cid and Steiner. When they arrived at the ruined castle, they encountered a young woman in battle armour whom Garnet greeted as General Beatrix, the head of the Alexandrian Military, and who had been missing since the attack on Alexandria. Beatrix had greeted Garnet, and had given her the jewel that was her namesake, but a garnet that also held the power of the Eidolon Bahamut, the Dragon King, who had been used to attack Alexandria by Kuja. She was curious to learn that Zidane had family, and that he had come from another world originally. She agreed to leave Garnet alone, while attending to helping supervise the rebuilding of Alexandria Castle. She would be effectively ruling in Garnet's stead until they had stopped the threat of Kuja and Terra.

The quartet made their way to the Resting Place, the private cemetery of the Alexandrian Royal Family. She paid her respects to her mother's grave, praying briefly, before she began walking down to a pier, with the castle, being repaired after the _Invincible_ nearly annihilated it, in the distance.

"Garnet," Harry said, "why did you bring Mikoto and I here? I mean, you've known Zidane for longer than either of us, not to mention the others. Why not bring them here? Why us?"

"Truthfully? I do not know. Maybe it's because, out of the others, you two do not treat me as a princess as much," Garnet admitted. "Steiner is like a mother hen, Vivi and Eiko are in awe of me, Freya treats me like I am a princess…Quina's obsessed about food, and Amarant with himself. And you two, you are new to our plight, and yet, you help us."

"Harry fights to save your world and his," Mikoto said. "I fight to ensure Kuja will not prevail. If…there is another way for Terra to survive without consuming the life of other worlds, or at least those inhabited, then we will use it. Your people…you are so full of life, life that is lacking in Terra. Even knowing you for so short a period of time, I can see that. I only thought of Gaian life in abstract terms, not as people, merely as energy needed for us. I am not saying Terra should not survive. It is my world. The Genomes are my people. Rather, I wish for mutual survival."

"Then you have my thanks, Mikoto. I will not hold the crimes of Garland and Kuja against the Terrans. If a peaceful solution can be reached, then we will do our utmost to achieve it." Garnet looked across the lake to the castle. "Since my city was wiped out, I thought that I must become a queen, bring peace and order back to Alexandria. But…there is more to this than just Alexandria. You said it yourself: the fate of three worlds hang in the balance. And there's more." She looked down into the water, at her reflection. "Since I was a child, I was continually trained to become a princess. That was my primary preoccupation. When my mother died, that didn't change. But…I don't think the people will accept me as a queen just yet. And things are going along fine enough for the time being."

"Dagger, you're a fine queen already!" Zidane pointed out. "Think about that garnet Beatrix gave you. That gem used to be an ordinary stone. But then, it made a wish, to shine brightly. It was handed down from person to person, in accordance with that wish. It's shining in your hand, Dagger. You can shine too, if you want to! Alexandria will need you one day, but there's no rush. You just need to want to be a fine queen."

Garnet chuckled, and murmured, "Thanks. I'll have to apologise to the others. I have used them as an excuse to flee my responsibilities."

"You honestly wanted to stay with us. That's what counts," Zidane said.

Garnet nodded, but then said, "Harry…you told us something of your life. The expectations you were made to live up to, and the adventures. How do you cope with it?"

"I dunno. I guess the best thing I could say, clichéd though it is, is one day at a time. There are good days and bad days. The best thing to do is just to keep going."

Garnet was silent for a time, contemplating things, before she then turned to Zidane. "Zidane, I would like to borrow that dagger again. The one I named myself for." As he dithered, she snatched it from his belt. "The three of you…remember the way I was…for me."

Harry almost tried to snatch the dagger away from her, only to realise she wasn't about to use it to kill herself. She gripped her long hair, then carefully cut through it. Then, she gently let the hair fly away on the wind, across the water, before turning to face them, sadness in her eyes, but a newfound resolve glittering in them as well.

She looked cuter with short hair, Harry reflected. But they were alike in many ways, he thought. Having to live up to impossible expectations, with few actual friends, and forced to fight against enemies at a young age. Okay, he wasn't royalty (though Snape would have disagreed), but even so, he saw part of himself reflected in her eyes.

* * *

A couple of days later, they embarked on the _Hilda Garde 3_. Cid had worked himself and his crew overtime to create it, using the original _Hilda Garde_ 's engines, combined with the hull of the _Blue Narcissus_. It was the best airship ever created on Gaia, and despite having been on the _Invincible_ , Harry was actually more impressed with the _Hilda Garde 3_ , if only because it was made with technology out of a fantasy world and not a science fiction way. And while the _Invincible_ was somewhat beautiful, inside and out, it was clear that the _Hilda Garde 3_ had been built with more love and care.

It was decided to head to Ipsen's Castle on the Forgotten Continent. From there, they would begin the process of breaking the seal on the dimensional bridge to Terra.

As they began flying towards Ipsen's Castle, Harry joined Mikoto on the deck, where Zidane was speaking to his fellow Genome. "…knowing that I was meant to kill these people. I'm not going to do it, though."

"Garland had already resigned himself to you going native. If you ever returned, he would offer you the opportunity to join him willingly, just in case. But the truth was, unless you demonstrated loyalty, it was more than likely you would have had your soul removed," Mikoto said. "Looking at you and Kuja…it's something of a shock. You are both so… _alive_. Even Kuja, as twisted as he is, is more alive than the rest of my fellow Genomes in Bran Bal. But how can you stop Terra?"

"Well, Garland's just one guy. So's Kuja. We stop them, and then, we try to find a way to save the Terrans without Gaia going down the toilet. Okay, it's not a detailed plan, but it's better than nothing. Harry's probably right. The heads of Terra didn't try to consider another plan, and might have programmed Garland to follow that plan, no matter what. Mikoto, as much as I've wanted to know about my birthplace and family, well, I'm not a Terran. Gaia is my home. Lindblum is my home. And Tantalus, my family. Knowing where I came from is great, but I'm not a weapon or an Angel of Death or whatever. I'm just me. Zidane Tribal, dashing and handsome thief and player of Tantalus!"

"If you do say so yourself," Harry snarked. "But I get where you're coming from." After a moment, he said, "Actually, it feels like I've come in towards the end of a very long story. Can you help me catch up, Zidane?"

"Sure," Zidane said. "Well, where do I begin? It began on Dagger's 16th birthday when we were asked by Cid to kidnap her…"

 **CHAPTER 8 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Hope you enjoyed it.**

 **Review-answering time!** **Akuma-Heika** **: I follow no religion, being agnostic bordering on misotheistic. However, I subscribe to a more utilitarian philosophy, theoretically, something Garland is most certainly NOT doing.**

 **jgkitarel** **: I'm glad to see you enjoyed the game too. I'm waiting for the Steam re-release VERY impatiently. I mean, it's a** ** _port_** **FFS! They should only announce it when they have a release date ready, or else it's a** ** _fait accompli_** **.** **(EDIT: IT'S OUT! AND I'M PLAYING IT AND LOVING IT!)**

 **No numbered annotations.**


	10. Chapter 9: Preparations

**CHAPTER 9:**

 **PREPARATIONS**

Harry (and Mikoto) listened to Zidane's tale with some interest. Garnet and Vivi, while wandering the airship, came in, and helped tell the tale. Sometimes Freya would also put her tuppence worth in (though she called it her 2 Gil's worth).

Zidane and his comrades in the Tantalus Theatre Troupe (and gang of thieves) had been commissioned to kidnap Garnet so that they could bring her to Cid, who was concerned for her safety. Garnet actually went with them willingly, though Steiner and Vivi less so. Steiner was trying to protect the princess, despite her protests that she wanted to go with Tantalus, and Vivi had been chased into Tantalus' theatre-ship by accident by a couple of guards. A series of misadventures happened before they finally reached Lindblum, not least of which was discovering Black Mages like Vivi were being manufactured as artificial mindless soldiers by the Alexandrians.

After reaching Lindblum, they soon received word that Burmecia, Freya's home city, had been attacked by these Black Mages. Garnet and Steiner managed to escape Lindblum against Cid's wishes, determined to try and beg Queen Brahne of Alexandria to stop this madness. Sadly, Brahne would not listen to reason, and imprisoned Steiner, and subjected Garnet to an Eidolon extraction process, like that Kuja had attempted on Eiko. Zidane, Vivi, Freya and Quina got to Burmecia too late, and were defeated by Beatrix, who was following Brahne's orders. They headed to Cleyra, a nearby pacifistic colony of the Burmecians, only for that to get invaded, and destroyed by the Eidolon Odin. Zidane, Freya, and Vivi barely escaped, and managed to make their way to Alexandria, where they freed Steiner, and showed Beatrix that she was in danger of allowing Garnet to die for no reason other than the greed of the Queen.

Zidane, a revived Garnet, and Vivi escaped Alexandria, the others holding off any pursuit, before enlisting Quina's help to find an underground tunnel to the Outer Continent, in order to investigate Kuja, who had apparently come from that continent. They stumbled across a village filled with Black Mage refugees, who had fled there when they became self-aware, as well as Eiko's hometown, Madain Sari, a ruined village that turned out to be Garnet's own birthplace. Garnet had been taken by her mother in a boat during Madain Sari's destruction (Kuja using the _Invincible_ to do so), and when the boat washed up in Alexandria, Garnet's birth mother was dead. Garnet resembled the true Princess Garnet, who had died mere days earlier, so much, that her horn (the mark of a summoner) was surgically removed so that she could pass as normal.

At the Iifa Tree, Kuja confronted not only Zidane and company, but Queen Brahne's forces. Kuja prevailed by turning the very summon Brahne tried to use on him, Bahamut, against her. Brahne, dying, made her peace with her daughter. Garnet resolved to become a fine queen, but found a distance coming between her and Zidane. Kuja attacked Alexandria to try and force Garnet to use Alexandria's guardian Eidolon, Alexander: the jewel containing his essence had been the target for Brahne's invasions, Kuja using Brahne to get these so that he could use Alexander for himself. Harry knew that Garland intervened, destroying Alexander, and with him, much of Alexandria.

In the aftermath, Garnet was rendered mute from the psychological trauma. They embarked on a quest to track down Kuja, finding out that he had tricked most of the self-aware Black Mages into following him, claiming he could extend their short lifespans. Upon finding him, they were imprisoned, and Kuja forced Zidane to retrieve a stone to open up Mount Gulug, only to kidnap Eiko and flee to Mount Gulug when confronted on a double-cross he was attempting. All of which led to the point where Harry and Mikoto arrived.

Mikoto, Harry could tell, was almost as entranced by the story as he was. "You know," Harry said, leaning against the railing, "I've had some adventures of my own, but I've never been through half the crap you guys have gone through. War, Eidolons, running from monsters…"

"And after them, in the Festival of the Hunt," Zidane pointed out.

"That sounds crazier than Quidditch, never mind the Tri-Wizard Tournament," Harry said.

"I don't know, Harry," Garnet said. "You said that you had to face a dragon in the First Task. We have admittedly faced dragons ourselves…"

"Including those Red Dragons in Mount Gulug," Mikoto pointed out.

"Thank you, Mikoto. But to do so as part of a tournament, nominally for students of a school…our quest is in deadly earnest. But to win glory and fame? I would want to meet the one who thought that a good idea so I can express my displeasure."

* * *

Back on Earth, Ludo Bagman, who was hiding from a small army of Goblin debt-collectors who had tracked him down, suddenly sneezed twice. The bush he was hiding in was promptly swarmed by the Goblins, and he was forced to run for his life, or, more correctly, the integrity of his kneecaps…

* * *

Shortly after arriving at Ipsen's Castle, Amarant decided to be an idiot by heading in alone, in order to counter Zidane's philosophy, of reliance on allies. Harry groaned at that, along with many others. He very nearly sent a Body-Bind Amarant's way, but Zidane had stopped him.

Mikoto had some knowledge of the Terran buildings that ended up on the Gaian surface, so she helped guide them through Ipsen's Castle. Sadly, they were beaten to their prize by the smug Amarant.

"See how much time you waste working with others?"

"See how much time you waste being a dingus?" Harry snarked back. "If you had the time to stick around here, you could have started helping out with working on how to break the seal."

"You've got your little piece of tailed tail for that," Amarant sneered. "She's the Terran who remembers what this is for. As far as I'm concerned, I don't need to follow Zidane around. I've proven my point." He smirked at Zidane. "We'll probably be enemies when we next meet. See ya."

"You unprincipled wretch!" Steiner bellowed. "You aren't at all concerned about stopping Terra or Kuja?!"

"You'll probably get yourself killed fighting him, or this Garland guy, and if Kuja takes over, it might just mean more employment. Bye." And with that, Amarant swaggered out.

"Who does he think he is?" Eiko demanded.

"I know who he is," Harry said. "An arsehole. Never mind about him. Mikoto, what do we do?"

"We remove the mirrors," Mikoto said. "But there's a guardian creature on these mirrors, Taharka. When we remove them, it will attack. It will curl up occasionally to enhance its physical defence. Use spells then. Once we get the mirrors, we have to place them in a shrine for each mirror. Each shrine is infested with traps, and guarded by a Guardian. The Water Shrine is guarded by Kraken, the Darkness of the Abyssal Deep. The Fire Shrine by Marilith, the Warrior of the Eternal Flame. The Wind Shrine by Tiamat, the Dragon of the Howling Tempest. And the Earth Shrine by Lich, the Revenant of the Quaking Ground. Take note of where the mirrors are placed on that map of Gaia. That indicates where we must go."

Eventually, they plucked the mirrors from the wall. And then, they heard a voice. "…Mirrors…return…energy flow…interrupted…" Suddenly, a massive creature, somewhere between an insect and a dragon, appeared, seeming to come out of a two-dimensional state. "You dare…to impede Terra's masterplan?!"

"Taharka! Stand down! We require passage to Terra!" Mikoto yelled.

"Garland…has sent word…of your treason…" Taharka rasped. "Return my mirrors…or suffer the consequences!"

"Hey, it's not nice to demand something like that!" Zidane yelled. "Say please!"

"Fool…You will die!" Taharka screeched, before lunging at them…

* * *

The battle was a somewhat arduous one, but between the nine fighters, Taharka fell swiftly. As ichor oozed out from rents in its carapace, Taharka sneered, "You fools…one is all, all is one…and even if you break the seal…with the traitor's help…you'll never overcome Garland! You cannot stop Terra!" It died laughing, choking on its own vile blood.

It was a more subdued group who emerged. But as they made to board the _Hilda Garde 3_ , one of the lookouts asked, "Where did Amarant go? He hasn't come out of the castle yet."

Zidane frowned. "You sure? He said he was going to go his own way from now on. Crap, he must still be inside! I'll go get him! Wait here!"

About twenty minutes later, Zidane came out, dragging an injured Amarant with him. Amarant, in his cockiness, had overlooked a trap in the castle, and had fallen. The red-haired mercenary looked suitably shamefaced that he had had to be rescued by the teenager whose altruism he had disparaged.

Soon, the _Hilda Garde 3_ had taken off, and after Amarant's wounds were healed by Garnet, they had the final briefing. It was decided that they would pair off, with two people going to each shrine. Eiko and Garnet opted to head for the Water Shrine, Freya and Amarant being assigned to the Fire Shrine, Steiner and Vivi to the Wind Shrine, and Zidane deciding to go with Quina for the Earth Shrine. Mikoto and Harry would stay behind for the time being.

* * *

In the state room of the _Hilda Garde 3_ , Harry and Mikoto sat next to each other. After a moment, Mikoto asked, "Am I doing the right thing? Am I betraying my people?"

"No. You're betraying Garland, or rather, defying him. There's a difference. Like I said, it's not the people of Terra that's the problem, it's the plan Garland and his creators thought up. We need to find a way for Terra to survive without consuming other worlds. I'll help you find that way. I promise you that much." Harry put an arm around her shoulders. And once more, she stiffened, then leaned into him, finding comfort in his embrace.

After a moment, she asked, "Harry…you do consider me a friend, don't you?"

"Yes. I mean, just after I found out about Terra, I couldn't see you as one. But now…yes, Mikoto, you are a friend."

"…Do you know something? Until you came along, only Garland showed me any kind of affection. And perhaps that was a false affection, or only a thin veneer, as he was swift to abandon me. Harry…please don't abandon me."

"I don't intend to."

"…Do you have anyone in your life, back home?"

"I have friends."

"No, I mean…someone you are pair-bonded with."

"Pair-bonded…you mean married or in love?"

"…Yes, those are the correct equivalents," Mikoto said.

"…I don't think so. I mean, there was this girl I had a thing for, Cho Chang, but she was seeing another boy. It was Cedric, actually. The boy whose body I was holding onto when I first arrived on Terra." Harry sighed. "Murdered by Pettigrew on Voldemort's orders. There's probably a lot of girls who want to be with the Boy Who Lived, but not that many who want to be with Harry Potter, if you get me."

"I understand. They are infatuated with the famous person, but not the true person," Mikoto said quietly. "Harry…I admit I was infatuated with you, but it was because you were something new, something novel on Terra. I think I have gotten to know something of the person behind that. I want to be pair-bonded with you. I want to try."

Harry blinked, even as Mikoto stood, and gently pulled Harry to his feet, green eyes meeting green eyes. After a moment's hesitation, the female Genome kissed him. First, just the lips touching. Then, her tongue gently probed at his mouth. Hesitation gave way to lust, only embers of lust, not enough to make this anything more than making out, but it was a mutual attraction, expressed through a kiss.

And even when they finished, they stood there for a long time, just holding each other close, feeling the warmth of their bodies through their clothes, the beat of their hearts through their chests. A bond had been created when they had first met, indubitably, but that bond was now strengthening, despite factors that had threatened to sever it.

Of course, before long, they needed to embark on a dangerous journey back to Terra, a journey that could cost them their lives. But they needed to stop the genocidal plans of Garland, and the vile ambitions of Kuja. The fate of two worlds rested on their shoulders, and they intended to make sure as many people survived as possible…

 **CHAPTER 9 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **One last chapter before the return to Terra. But something bad's going to happen to Harry when it happens…**

 **No numbered annotations this time.**


	11. Chapter 10: The Death of Harry Potter

**CHAPTER 10:**

 **THE DEATH OF HARRY POTTER**

It was strange, walking along the streets of Bran Bal again, Harry thought. Especially with Zidane now looking around at his birthplace, along with the others. Mikoto stuck close to him, wary and nervous. Then again, he couldn't blame her.

They had jumped into the light of a massive teleporter at the Shimmering Isle after they had placed the mirrors at the Shrines. Now they were on Terra again. Well, again for Harry and Mikoto…and Zidane, even if he barely remembered his time on Terra.

" _Remain cautious_ ," Mikoto had said. " _Garland will have detected our incursion._ "

The others were now looking at the inhabitants in astonishment and confusion. "They're like Zidane," Eiko mused. "But…it's almost like we're not here to them."

"They are without souls, Eiko," Mikoto said. "They have knowledge and the ability to speak, but they are little more than golems."

"I would've thought Garland would have told them to capture us," Zidane muttered.

"He has no need. It will be difficult leaving for Gaia again. There are means, but they are difficult," Mikoto said. Suddenly, a rumble filled the air, and they rushed outside the building they had been in to see the form of the _Invincible_ gently coming in. "Or perhaps not. We may be able to leave on the _Invincible_ once we are done. That must be Kuja. Or else Garland managed to engage the remote control on the _Invincible_ once more."

"I'd put my money on Kuja," Amarant said with a scowl. "What are we going to do regarding Garland?"

"We'll have to try and confront him somehow," Zidane said. He looked around the landscape of Terra, suffused in the intense blue light. "Talk about a let-down. The home I yearned for, and it's a dump filled with zombies. I mean, you told me this, but even so, to see it…"

"I understand," Mikoto said quietly. "Zidane…we'll have to enter Pandemonium. There are not any entrances save for the teleporter. I'm sorry. And Garland can monitor and divert the teleporter systems. He may be able to separate us. Zidane…to have a chance against him, we must confront him together." She looked at the others, before handing over a small crystal to Garnet. "I am carrying another like it. It will lead you to us if we are separated."

* * *

Harry, Mikoto, and Zidane went first, appearing in Pandemonium in a blizzard of light. Only, they were in an area unfamiliar to Harry. Mikoto, however, was frightened. They appeared to be in some sort of laboratory, with a number of strange chairs with helmets in the middle of the room. In tanks arrayed around these chairs, Genomes floated naked. Most were the usual blonde-haired ones, though Harry noted that there was some who had darker hair colours. One of them even had dark hair and green eyes. He idly thought it looked a little like him if he was a Genome.

"Harry, Zidane," Mikoto said quietly, "we need to get out of here. _Now_."

Harry and Zidane opted to leave asking questions until after they were out of whatever immediate danger Mikoto had sensed. But as the trio dashed for the door, Garland appeared. "My prodigal children return, along with the interloper. How foolish."

"How Gryffindor," Harry said, before he attempted a Body-Bind on Garland. The android merely backhanded him before Harry could complete the spell, sending Harry flying.

"So, you're my creator, huh?" Zidane asked. "The one who made me into an Angel of Death?"

"Indeed. Though given how you are looking at me, I know you have gone native. You are no Angel of Death."

"I am an Angel of Death!" Zidane retorted, readying his daggers. " _Yours!_ " Suddenly, the young Genome clutched his head, and collapsed, as did Mikoto.

"What the hell did you do to them?!" Harry demanded, struggling to get to his feet.

"I have what could be called 'root access' to Genomes, enough to render them unconscious should they be unruly," Garland said, picking up Zidane and placing him in one of the chairs. As he did the same to Mikoto, he added, "They've become a liability. I saw the way Mikoto looked at you in surveillance feeds of Bran Bal. She has gained feelings for you, feelings that I cannot countenance."

"Love? Affection? What's so wrong about those?" Harry demanded.

"They have grown beyond their purpose, apart from it, and thus have become a liability."

"So? We came here to stop Terra being assimilated by Gaia…I mean, Gaia being assimilated by Terra," Harry said(1). "You must've hit me harder than I thought. We're not here to stop Terra's survival, we just want to make sure you use another way!"

"There is no other way," Garland said, adjusting helmets onto Zidane and Mikoto's heads.

"You've never tried. You're an android, programmed, but you have no creativity, _no thoughts of your own_ ," Harry sneered, before he fired a Body-Bind.

Garland merely swatted the spell away with a gauntleted hand. He then surged forward, and grabbed Harry by the throat. "I do not need to. I am the custodian of Terra, and I will not be judged by an inferior life-form!" He slammed Harry into one of the chairs, swiftly restraining him. "You are too dangerous to leave alive any longer. This room, as Mikoto is aware, is where I experiment with Genomes. It is where Kuja, Zidane, and Mikoto were ensouled. But I can also remove souls with the same apparatus. I will do that to all three of you. Zidane and Mikoto's bodies, emptied of their souls, will become ordinary Genomes once more. But you…I have learned all I need to about your species' anatomy and physiology from your friend. I will take the soul from your body first, before I do so to Zidane and Mikoto. Later, I will interrogate it for every last scrap of information about Earth and its defences. Once we are done with Gaia…Earth will be next. But once the extraction process is complete…I will annihilate your body." He tapped in a command at a nearby control panel. "It is done. Goodbye, Harry Potter." And with that, he left the room.

Suddenly, Harry felt a strange and painful sensation, like something was trying to suck on his brains through a straw. And no matter how much he tried to resist it, he could feel himself being drawn up the straw. With a last scream of pain, he was sucked up into the machine, spiralling into dark oblivion, and he knew no more…

* * *

Kuja looked out over the landscape of Terra as he disembarked from the _Invincible_. As he looked out across the world that had once been his home, he mused, _I never ever thought I would actually return here_. A smirk split his features. _But now, I have the power to conquer Garland, and erase Zidane from existence. It wasn't easy, getting the souls of the_ Invincible _to cooperate. Not all of them did. But I've now got all I need, to take my revenge on those who insult my sensibilities, my flair, nay, my very existence! And soon, both Gaia and Terra will know who the true lord of both worlds is_ …

With that cheerful thought in mind, he began merrily skipping, yes, skipping, towards Pandemonium. He felt as giddy and playful as a child in a sweetstore…only the intoxicating feeling was that of power…

* * *

Garnet and the others were rushing through the corridors of Pandemonium, Garnet stopping to check the crystal Mikoto gave her every now and then. Mikoto, Harry, and Zidane had been separated from them, and the others ended up in another teleporter.

It took them several minutes to find their comrades in the vast complex, but they eventually dashed into a laboratory in time to find Mikoto, Zidane, and Harry strapped into seats, helmets on their heads. Suddenly, there was a flare of light, and when the newcomers blinked away the after-images from their eyes, they saw that Harry was now little more than a small pile of ashes.

"Harry!" Garnet screamed. She then rushed over to Zidane, tearing the helmet off him, and removing the restraints, Freya doing the same to Mikoto.

Zidane blinked blearily, and then looked up at Garnet as she pulled him out of the chair. "Dagger?" he asked, scarcely believing it.

"Zidane!" Garnet cried, embracing the young Genome.

Mikoto, who was also waking up, asked, "Where is Harry?"

"I am sorry, Mikoto," Freya said quietly. "But when we arrived…some sort of foul machine disintegrated him. He's dead." The Burmecian pointed to the chair where Harry was seated, at the small pile of ashes on it.

"Waste disposal system," Mikoto said bleakly, her eyes filled with tears. "His body was drained completely of its remaining life essence. Garland must have removed his soul…" Her eyes widened, and she dashed to a control panel.

"What're you doing Mikoto?" Eiko asked.

"If Garland has removed his soul before destroying his body, then I may have a chance. It's a slender one, but…" Mikoto began tapping buttons almost maniacally, like some crazed pianist at a concert.

"Has she taken leave of her senses?" Steiner mused.

Zidane, meanwhile, was looking around the laboratory. "Wait a moment…I think I get it. Genomes are designed to be the vessels of souls, right?"

"So?" Amarant asked.

"If Harry has lost his body, but his soul is in storage…" Garnet mused. Her eyes widened, and she whirled to look at Mikoto. "You're trying to put his soul into a Genome body!"

"Can you do that?!" Eiko demanded.

"I am trying to do that," Mikoto said, chewing on her lip pensively, her tail swishing agitatedly. "Genomes are meant for Terran souls rather than any other kind of soul. The energy signature of the souls from different worlds are…well, different." She looked on the verge of panic. "If I'm lucky, all there will be is a lot of pain, and a lot of adjusting to a different body, including getting used to having a tail."

"And if you're unlucky?" Garnet asked.

"The worst case scenario is that the energy imbalance may cause a catastrophic failure of the integrity of the organic matter, and in the process, the structure of the energy framework of the soul would be terminally disrupted, causing complete entropic decay," Mikoto said. When they looked at her blankly, she said, "The Genome body may explode, messily, and Harry's soul may be lost forever."

"So, no pressure," Amarant remarked snidely.

"On the contrary, I feel like a piece of degenerate stellar material," Mikoto retorted. On their looks, she said, "In some stars, matter is compressed so densely, a single tablespoon could weigh as much as an entire town(2)." She looked over at the Genomes in their tanks, and nodded at one, with black hair and green eyes, staring vacantly. She then looked at the panel. "Harry…please…come back to me…" she whispered, before stabbing one last button.

* * *

 _Who am I? I…I don't know anything. Harry. Yes. Harry. I was called that once. By a lot of people._

 _But I'm dead now, aren't I?_

 _I don't go looking for trouble. Trouble finds me. I remember saying that once._

 _I hate my family. I don't know why I have to go back to them every summer, to a family that detests me. Bloody Dumbledore. Always says he will tell me at the right time, and never does. The Dursleys would probably throw a party if I died._

 _Snape probably had a party too when he thought I died. Greasy-haired bastard. Probably had it with his Death Eater friends._

 _Will anyone mourn me? Ron and Hermione and Neville, yes, but will my teachers? Will Dumbledore? Wait, they think I'm still alive. But I'm dead now, aren't I?_

 _Aren't I?_

 _Hang a moment, I'm moving. I feel like I'm being sucked through a straw again…and oh dear Merlin it's cold! And painful! Oh shit, I feel like my entire body is on fire! Make it stop! For Merlin's sake, make it stop!_

 _Wait, I can see! There they are! Zidane and Mikoto are all right! I remember, Garland ambushed us, and…wait a bloody moment._

 _Why do I feel like I have a tail?_

* * *

"There'll be clothing in that locker," Mikoto said, indicating a locker, breathing a sigh of relief. As the others watched on in amazement, she looked at the control panel. "I think it has worked."

She then drained the tank, and as the Genome within coughed out the liquid, Mikoto took a towel, along with clothing, from the locker, and opened the tank up, gently pulling the newly-ensouled Genome out.

The face was only vaguely like Harry's, save for two features, the messy mop of black hair, and the emerald green eyes. His body was the slender form of a Genome, apparently in his teens, with a black tail protruding just above his buttocks.

The Genome blinked, and then looked up at Mikoto. "…Mikoto?" he asked. The voice was not familiar. But the expression was. "You…you're alive? You saved me?"

Mikoto smiled, even as tears ran down her cheeks. "Yes, Harry. Garland destroyed your original body…but you're now like Zidane and I. You're now a Genome."

 **CHAPTER 10 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Tell me, honestly, how many of you saw this coming? I'll be honest, I actually had this in mind for quite a while. Yes, I had planned for Harry to end up as a Genome since starting this story. I originally considered him having his soul shoved into a Genome before leaving Terra for Gaia, but here, it feels right. Also, Zidane isn't going to go through the 'You're Not Alone' sequence simply because he already knows the truth about his existence, and has come to terms with it.**

 **Review-answering time! Thanks for your thoughts on Harry and Mikoto's first kiss.**

 **Reishin Amara** **: Although I didn't write that scene (which would take place between chapters), Zidane would be cheering his sister on. He'd probably give Harry a talk along the lines of 'if you dare hurt my sister, I will rob you of everything you hold dear, AND castrate you', though.**

 **diagonalpumpkin** **: I remembered 'pair-bonding' being a very science fiction-style phrase for marriage or at least a strong relationship. I think I first heard it in the** ** _Doctor Who_** **story** ** _The Ark in Space_** **, where Vira mentions that she and the leader of Nerva, 'Noah' (his real name is Lazar, but 'Noah' was a jokey nickname, probably one of the few in what was a pretty anal-retentive humourless society), were pair-bonded. Given how Terra's society seems not unlike that of the survivors frozen on Nerva, I thought it appropriate. Mikoto is more ignorant and naïve than innocent. She knows about love and sexuality, but from a purely academic standpoint. She's found the experiences she's had with Harry, once he's forgiven her, to be irreplaceable, hence her request.**

 **1\. I actually wrote a typo for this initially, before deciding it was too good not to leave in, to show how dazed Harry was from Garland's attack. Serendipity for the win!**

 **2\. This is actually a thing. The matter in white dwarves and neutron stars is generally called 'degenerate matter', though they are different types of degenerate matter.**


	12. Chapter 11: The Fate of Terra

**CHAPTER 11:**

 **THE FATE OF TERRA**

The newly-reborn Harry looked down at his body once he had gotten dressed in an alcove. It felt weird, like his mind was getting used to moving limbs that were of different lengths and shapes. And that was without going into the fact that he had a bloody _tail!_

A small part of him chuckled ruefully, thinking that the Dursleys were right now: that he was a freak. Another, more vocal part of him, thought that it was wonderful that he no longer needed glasses, and no longer had that goddamned scar on his noggin. He reached around and touched his tail. That was bloody weird, doing that.

"Hey, don't touch it too much, or you'll go blind," Zidane chuckled. Garnet and Steiner gasped, scandalised, Freya facepalmed, and Vivi, Eiko and Mikoto, united by puzzlement over the comment, cocked their heads in a quizzical manner. Neither Amarant nor Quina offered any other expressions than their usual ones.

"I've got a new body, Zidane. I'm sorry if I'm still trying to get used to the optional extras," Harry said. "I mean, I've got a different voice, my eyesight is clearer, my organs feel weird, and, of course, there's the tale of the tail."

"As odd as it may be to have a new body," Steiner said, "I would venture that we have a more urgent task at hand: namely stopping Garland. Forgive me, Harry, but we must make haste."

"Rusty's right," Zidane said. He looked at Mikoto. "Can Garland use that spell or whatever it was to send us to sleep again?"

"No. It was an emergency measure, meant to stop a Genome from doing something dangerous. It has a cooldown period that even Garland cannot override. When he can use it, it's like a Sleep spell that always hits, but if used too often, it can cause a dangerous imbalance of neurochemicals in the brain. It could potentially kill the person, in the same way as taking too much alcohol or sleep-inducing pharmaceuticals could kill you," Mikoto said.

"Garland must have thought we would have been lost in Pandemonium, and we would have come across you too late," Garnet mused. "Thankfully, we had that crystal."

"Yes," Mikoto said. "You got here before the soul-removal could be started with Zidane and I."

"I'm sorry we couldn't get there in time for you, Harry," Garnet said.

"It's fine, it wasn't your fault," Harry said, waving her concerns away. "Why have I still got my memories, though?"

"The mind and the soul are the same thing. Your memories fade after time, as they are linked to the brain, but as your time outside the body was brief, and Garland wished to interrogate your memories, I presume, your memories were imprinted over the blank brain of the Genome you now inhabit," Mikoto said. "But Steiner is right, time is of the essence. If the _Invincible_ is here, so too is Kuja."

"So, what are we going to do to stop Garland?" Zidane said, crossing his arms. "I mean, does he have a weakpoint?"

"That red gem in his chest?" Harry asked.

"No, that is an exhaust vent, actually," Mikoto said quietly. "I…once had to do maintenance on his body. The gem disperses excess magical energy, and is tougher than diamond. However, he is reliant on magic attacks. If one of you knows how to use Silence…"

"I do!" Eiko said.

"As do I," Garnet said.

"All right," Zidane said. "We have a plan. Hopefully, we can subdue Garland quickly, and deal with Kuja when he arrives."

* * *

After an arduous journey through Pandemonium, they found themselves on the roof of the complex, near a massive glowing red orb. Garland was standing nearby, as if waiting. "Zidane…" he said. "You told me that you'd become my Angel of Death. But when you consider it, life is death itself. Life must kill other life to survive. Even plants must supplant other plants in order to grow. Sometimes, life must kill a close relation. To live is to give life meaning. But to live is to rob others of life. Mature civilisations become aware of this paradox. But Terra's souls will sleep until they forget such nonsense…"

"Shut up," Harry said with a scowl. Garland wheeled to face Harry, and judging by the way his blank white eyes widened, he wasn't expecting this. "There's a difference between survival and murder. You just can't think of another way to save Terra because you're not programmed to. We'll find another way to save Terra. I believe we can. Mikoto believes we can. Terra and Gaia can co-exist in peace."

"You are in the way, Garland," Mikoto said. Then, coldly, she threw Garland's words, the ones he had used as Harry escaped Terra in the _Invincible_ , back at him. "You are valuable, but in the end, you are expendable, as replaceable as my siblings. It is better this way."

Garland, despite his usual stoicism, actually laughed at that. It wasn't cruel laughter, or mocking laughter. It was just laughter, plain and simple, at the absurdity of the situation. After he calmed himself, he looked at them all. "I can see the conviction on your faces. Let's see how long it lasts when I…" He stopped talking. Or rather, he stopped producing noise, his lips still moving for a few seconds until he realised what had happened.

Garland was then blindsided by a Body-Bind that sent the ancient android crashing to the floor. "Got you," Harry said. He didn't have his wand anymore, it had been incinerated with his body, but the Genome body he now inhabited seemed engineered to use magic.

A series of loud claps from above heralded the arrival of Kuja, who floated down gently, a serene smile on his elegant features. "Oh, well done," he said. "I didn't believe you'd be able to take down Garland so easily. I thought you'd get all tired out by fighting, and I could swoop in with both sides exhausted. Mikoto…Zidane…you are truly remarkable Genomes, worthy of my love!"

"What would _you_ know of love?" Mikoto asked quietly.

Kuja chortled. "Surely you jest? A hollow Genome, barely better than those puppets in Bran Bal, lecturing me?"

"She knows more than you," Harry said, glaring at the effeminate Genome.

"Oh, that's hurtful. I admit, I was a bit surprised to see a third Genome with you, but I remember that green-eyed mage. I never actually asked your name. I mean, I can tell it's you. I don't know how you ended up in a Genome body, but that's no concern of mine. So, what is your name?"

"I'm Harry Potter. I've come from another world, Earth. And I'm here to kick your arse."

Kuja tittered. "Oh my, how vulgar and uncouth, just like my brother. Still, I had better not waste time playing with you. You are all going to sleep alongside the souls of Terra…for eternity!" Suddenly, a flare of light enveloped Kuja…

And then, he was changed. He seemed to be covered in red fur, his skin deathly pale, a blood-coloured tail gently waving. Harry recognised it as being similar to Zidane's own Trance. "I thought so," Mikoto said. "I thought you would try to artificially induce a Trance. You used the souls on the _Invincible_ , didn't you?"

"Yes. A normal Trance wouldn't be any good. You're all hardier and tenacious than Oglops, and about as noxious to boot," Kuja said. "Ah, but using multiple souls to power a Super-Trance…let me show you its power. _ULTIMA!_ " He held up his hands, and flung them to the sky. Pink and purple and magenta energy spiralled around him, soared into the sky, and then became a series of arrows of magical energy that rained down on them.

Everyone dove for cover, but were flung around by the shockwaves of the blasts, even if the blasts missed hitting them directly. Garland caught the full brunt of one of the blasts, and his body disintegrated, sending his head scuttling along to rest near Kuja's feet.

Harry and Mikoto struggled to their feet, as did the others. Kuja merely smiled. "Oh, come on. That was but the gentlest of caresses," he tittered, before looking down at Garland's head. "Do you see, Garland? You're surplus to requirements. I heard their passionate speeches, and while it galls me to agree with them…they have a point. After all your hard work…it's time for you to be discarded, like you planned for me and my fellow Angels of Death. I shall rule Terra and Gaia for all eternity with my unconditional love from now on. _Ashes to ashes, sleep to sleep, we all know Garland's for the junkheap_ ," he sang quietly(1).

" _What will you do with such power, Kuja?_ " Garland's head rasped in a tinny, metallic voice. " _Your power is meaningless. You do not have an eternity. Did you think a defective Genome like you would be allowed to live forever?_ "

Kuja froze, then glared at the head of Garland. "How dare you?! This is my triumph, and you waste the remaining moments of your existence with lies? I know the Genomes are immortal, barring accidents or malice!"

" _I built in a time limit as a safety mechanism, until Zidane or Mikoto came of age_ ," Garland responded. " _Indeed, it is easier to make a Genome mortal than immortal. What's more, I engineered the bodies of the other Genomes to be hostile to your soul, so you can't transfer to another one. You are too dangerous to be allowed to live, Kuja. You'll be dead ere long, with no time to build your empire, no time to leave any sort of mark on the world. You were created to destroy, Kuja, but in the end, you are_ _ **mortal**_ _._ "

Kuja's mouth opened and shut spasmodically like a demented ventriloquist doll's. Denial and disbelief flitted across his face, before deranged laughter burst from his lips. "What comedy!" he roared to the heavens. "What a farce! Zidane, Mikoto…don't you see how funny it is?! Vivi, laugh with me, damn you! I am like those very Black Mages I despised! A tool, set to die, for my soul to be lost into the aether! I brought chaos and destruction to Gaia…but I'm no more than a worthless doll!" He cackled and laughed madly, until finally, he fell silent. And the silence, if anything, was worse than the laughter.

"Guys…I think now is the time to start running," Harry said quietly.

"There'll be nowhere to run or hide," Kuja said quietly, his now dead-looking eyes matching Harry's. Suddenly, he stomped down on Garland's head, destroying it, causing sparks to fly and blood or oil or something similar to ooze out. "I won't let it happen. No world will exist without me. _No world_ _ **deserves**_ _to exist without me._ "

He rose into the sky, his serenity at odds with his earlier outburst. Lazily, he waved a hand, and unleashed bolts of energy, sending them flying into the structures around Terra. Soon, much of the surrounding area was consumed by explosions.

Mikoto stared in horror. "No…no, he shouldn't do that," she muttered. "Those structures help keep Terra stable. If he destroys enough of them…Terra will be destroyed."

"I don't think he cares about that," Zidane said. "I think saving the souls of Terra is a lost cause, but do we have enough time to save the Genomes? And those Moogles who we saw in Bran Bal?"

"Barely. Are you intending to evacuate them on the _Invincible?_ "

"It's our best shot," Zidane said. "Come on! Let's go!"

* * *

Harry, Mikoto, Garnet and Zidane went to evacuate the Genomes, while the others readied the Invincible, with Mikoto giving them instructions on how to warm up the engines. It took several minutes, but the Genomes and the Moogles were soon hustled on board the _Invincible_.

Mikoto took the helm, and piloted the massive airship expertly into the dimensional portal. Soon, they broke free of Terra, emerging from the portal in the Shimmering Isle…just as the massive island of ice exploded.

As the massive airship soared through the skies of Gaia, Harry gently put a hand on her shoulder. "We made it," he said quietly.

She nodded, but tears trickled from her eyes, and she flicked a switch on the control panel. "The _Invincible_ is now on auto-pilot. Excuse me." She then left, Zidane, Garnet and Harry following her.

* * *

In the lounge area where Harry had paralysed Mikoto while fleeing Terra for the first time, Mikoto sat down on one of the chairs, and sobbed quietly. Harry sat down next to her, comforting the young Genome, while Zidane and Garnet looked on.

"I could not save them," Mikoto said quietly. "I could not save Terra from Garland or Kuja. All I could save were hollow vessels. All because Kuja decided to suffer a conniption of epic proportions!" Her sobs became louder, and she clung to Harry.

Freya and Amarant entered. "My apologies for disturbing your grief, but Amarant and I have been having a most disturbing discussion."

Amarant nodded. "I don't think it's over. Kuja may still be alive."

Garnet frowned. "But Terra was being destroyed. I don't see how he could have gotten out of there unscathed…"

"There are dimensional portals he could have used," Mikoto said, her voice thick with grief. "They are risky to travel through, but he would know how to use them. And with his Super-Trance, the dangers are lessened. Most of them lead to one place on Gaia: the Iifa Tree."

"And if he did survive…" Zidane muttered. "Remember what he said? 'No world will exist without me. _No world_ _ **deserves**_ _to exist without me.'_ If he can destroy Gaia, he'll do it."

"It will be harder than destroying Terra," Mikoto said quietly. "Terra, because of its age, was unstable. But…there are ways. Garland told me once of his theories about life and memory. All life and memory comes back to the Crystal, the source of all worlds, all life, all memories. There are…ways and means that one could access this Crystal. And with Kuja's power…he could try to destroy the Crystal. And with it, the entire universe will be destroyed."

"We'll have to stop him," Zidane said solemnly. "I'm not going to have the whole universe destroyed just because of his little hissy fit."

Mikoto nodded, before she said, "There's one last thing. Because of Terra being destroyed…"

She was interrupted when Steiner yelled, "Everyone! You need to come with me!"

"Why?" Zidane asked.

"It's swifter to see!" Steiner yelled. "Come!"

Mikoto paled, and she rushed after Steiner, the others following, only to pause when she saw the viewscreen ahead, with what seemed like clouds skitting underneath the _Invincible_. "Oh no," she murmured. "I feared this might happen."

"What do you mean?" Zidane asked. "Aren't they just clouds?"

"Zidane…that's Mist," Mikoto said quietly. As everyone looked at her, she said, "When Terra was destroyed, the cycle of souls between the two worlds would have been disrupted. All those stagnant souls stored away…the Iifa Tree released them to prevent a catastrophic failure, like a steam engine releasing excess steam to prevent the boiler from bursting. I would not be surprised if the Mist will cover the entirety of Gaia."

"So this isn't Kuja's doing?" Harry asked.

"No." She went over to the control panel, and began tapping at it. "But this is. There are energy readings at the Iifa Tree, a massive cross-dimensional portal. I would not be surprised if it leads, eventually, to the Crystal."

"He wants an audience," Zidane scowled. "He wants us to have front-row seats to the end of all creation."

"Then we'd better not disappoint him," Harry said, glaring at the viewscreen. "He's already destroyed one world. We're not going to let him destroy any more…"

 **CHAPTER 11 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **This will be the last chapter for a while (unless I get the fanfic-writing bug when I'm supposed to be thinking up ideas for a writing competition). Hope you enjoyed it, including abridging the fight against Garland (yes, they fight against a Silver Dragon beforehand, but Garland was stopped before he could summon it) and Kuja (I thought Kuja going into a Trance instantly would be neater, and cut out a lot of crappily-written fight scenes).**

 **BTW, this fanfic is going to end with Chapter 14. It will end with a hook for a sequel, though, which I will get around to, eventually. Yes, it's a bit hasty, but I could do with more completed fics, and it's nearly the end of the game, story-wise...**

 **1\. I'm on a bit of a Bowie kick at the moment, and without David Bowie, we may never have had Kuja. The words Kuja sings are a play on Bowie's chorus for** ** _Ashes to Ashes_** **…**

 ** _Ashes to ashes,_**

 ** _Funk to funky,_**

 ** _We know Major Tom's a junky_** **…**


	13. Chapter 12: A Brief Respite

**CHAPTER 12:**

 **A BRIEF RESPITE**

It was when they stopped at Black Mage Village (temporarily, both to give the Genomes somewhere to live, as well as to rest up before heading for the portal) that it struck Harry. His body was dead, and this new one only resembled him vaguely. Plus, getting used to a different biology had its little quirks. The internal organs were present, but by human terms, they weren't quite correct. Mikoto helped him, as she had at least read the autopsy report on Cedric, and knew of the anatomical and physiological differences between humans and Genomes.

Zidane was also something of a help. He'd only known Harry for a short while, but he also went out of his way to reassure Harry. The fact that Harry and Mikoto had grown closer helped. In fact, shortly before heading for Terra in the first place, Zidane had taken Harry aside, and told him to keep going with the relationship, though he did threaten to steal everything Harry owned, and castrate him, if he hurt Mikoto. He also showed Harry how to use the tail as another limb. It was certainly prehensile enough to do so, surprisingly. Harry took to hanging from the rafters with only his tail holding him up with surprising ease, Mikoto facepalming.

Harry was certainly more agile as a Genome than he was as a human, and considering he was both fast and nimble from years of suffering through Dudley's 'Harry Hunting', as well as three years of experience as a Seeker in Quidditch, that was saying something. He was somewhere between Zidane and Mikoto: the former was very quick and strong with physical attacks, while Mikoto was more used to magical attacks. Harry had a bit of both, and thanks to the Black Mages of Black Mage Village, he now had a different outfit. The clothing of the Genomes of Terra were a bit weird for his liking, and the clothes the Black Mages provided, while still produced with near-medieval technology, were still better. He now wore, along with Mikoto, something that Zidane had called a 'Red Mage' outfit. Harry thought that the outfit given to Mikoto made her look like a cowgirl(1). Of course, putting on clothes while one had a tail had its own little trials.

He came with Mikoto to the graveyard of the Black Mages. Number 288, the leader, was standing there as Mikoto examined the graves. "This is where you bury your dead," Mikoto remarked. "What is the point? The dead cannot appreciate this."

"That's not the point," 288 said quietly. "I don't think we build them for the dead in the end. Perhaps it is because we wish to erect a monument to their lives, so we may never forget them. _We'll never forget you. Every time we stand at your grave, we will remember you. We won't let the fear of death stop us from living our lives. Because, in the end, our loved ones, friends and family, will remember us when we are here_. That's what I think, anyway."

"…There will be no memorial, no grave marker for the dead of Terra," Mikoto muttered morosely.

"Would you like us to make one?" 288 asked. "In a way, we are kin."

Mikoto, after a moment, said, "If you wish. But…we have a more important task: stopping Kuja."

* * *

Later that night, Harry couldn't sleep. His death and rebirth had shaken him badly, and he had nightmares of Cedric's demise. He saw the older Hufflepuff come back from the dead as a ravenous revenant, blaming Harry for killing him, before trying to feast on his entrails.

As he left the inn, he realised Mikoto had left her bed too. He wandered out, and found the Genome girl sitting on one of the walkways around the village. She was looking at the stars, and the two moons in the sky, one blue, the other red. She didn't seem surprised when he sat down next to her. In fact, the first thing she did was drape an arm around him and draw him near, her tail intertwining with his own. It was a surprisingly pleasurable sensation.

"Nightmares?" he asked.

She nodded. "I presume we both have had them. I did not dream that much, I must confess. Not before. Dreams, supposedly, are how our mind processes the events of the day. And considering how very little happened on Terra before you arrived, Harry…"

"But you've had a bad dream, right?"

"I saw Kuja destroying Bran Bal in his Trance form," Mikoto confessed. "Only…I was still little better than a normal Genome. I watched my world fall down, and only awaited an end that was a long time coming. I saw my fellow Genomes being torn apart by blasts of magic. I felt so numb and empty in that dream. So unlike how I feel alive. In a way, that is what you reminded me of, Harry. You reminded me that I'm _alive_. And not in the same way that the other Genomes are. They are little more than automatons. They may become something more, eventually. But…at the time, having a soul meant little to me, other than that I had a purpose. I mean, beyond being a vessel for a soul. But…I felt little different from the other Genomes. And when you stole me away from Terra, I felt that you were stealing my purpose away from me. But, in a way, you weren't. You wanted me to consider that there was another way to save Terra than it assimilating another world." Her face fell. "That has become a moot point."

"Mikoto…I don't know what I can say to make you feel any better. Unless it's along the lines of, 'we'll stop the bastard who did this'." He blinked. "And I think I know how. Mikoto, how long do you think Kuja has left to live?"

"Days at most," Mikoto said. "Garland once told me when he intended Kuja to expire."

"I've got an idea. We'll need to get close to him…and I'll need to bring along a friend, and hope that my plan works."

He outlined his plan to Mikoto, who blinked, before she said, "How can you be sure it will work?"

"I'm not sure, but it's either that, or beat the crap out of him, and hope he doesn't destroy the Crystal during the fighting. At least this way, we might be able to get him somewhere where we can beat him into submission without risking destroying the Crystal."

"At the very least, it is worth trying," Mikoto conceded. "But I have to say, I don't like our chances. The only reason why I'm coming to help you all stop Kuja…is that I do not wish to cease to be. And I would rather try to stop him and fail, than lie fallow and do nothing to stop the destruction."

"Mikoto…if you had lain fallow, you wouldn't have tried to save my soul, put it into a new body. Okay, it's a bit weird, and I'm still getting used to it, but even so…thank you. If anything, I'm worried about what's going to happen when I get back home. I mean, this isn't my original body, after all, and as far as I know, there aren't any people walking around with tails normally, even in Magical Britain."

Mikoto actually giggled at that. "Then we shall have to deal with it when the time comes."

Harry nodded. "I think I'll write another letter for Dobby to take home. Just give them a heads-up. Though I'm not sure what to say. _Hello, I ended up getting my soul ripped out of my body, and put into the genetically-engineered body of a now nearly-extinct species from another world that has since been destroyed by a narcissistic manchild who makes Voldemort look sane_." He winced. "Sorry about that, I didn't mean to be so tactless. So… _Ron_."

"It's all right," Mikoto said quietly. "You care. Do you still have that camera with you?"

"I think Vivi had it last," Harry said. "He took those pictures while we were in Lindblum and Bran Bal, remember? Are you saying I should take a picture of myself, and say that's how I ended up?"

"It is better than you ending up in their midst with a new appearance and claiming to be Harry," Mikoto pointed out, not unreasonably.

"Yeah, you're right." He sighed. "Mikoto…thanks for helping me."

"Harry…I could say the very same thing. When Garland abandoned me, I very nearly thought you would. But while you were angry, you never actually abandoned me. Once you worked out your anger…you even felt sympathy for me. You cared about me when I needed it. That is why I wished to work towards a pair-bonding." She turned to face him, and said, with a hesitant smile, "I would like to kiss you in your new body, actually."

It wasn't all that different to his old body, really. And they both knew, even as they did this, that their bond was only strengthening even more. A bond that, if Kuja had his way, would cease to exist, along with everything else in creation…

* * *

Not long afterwards, after finishing his letter and giving that, and a letter, to Dobby, Harry spent some time speaking with the person his plan hinged on. The person doubted he was capable of doing what was asked of him, but agreed to help Harry any way that he could.

Which was good. Harry wasn't quite sure whether his plan was going to work anyway, but he hoped it would. Kuja…had had a tragic life in some regards, manipulated into becoming the weapon of a meddling ancient man. But he was also a strutting narcissist who was incapable of countenancing dying without taking everyone else with him. He had started a war purely to gain power. Even Voldemort hadn't quite been as bad: Kuja's death toll had easily surpassed Voldemort's, possibly even before he annihilated Terra.

Harry just had to hope that the plan worked.

* * *

At his office in Hogwarts, Dumbledore was staring at the letter and attached photo in shock. The instruments monitoring Harry Potter had gone silent since his ill-fated encounter with Voldemort in the graveyard, so he didn't know, until the first letter with Dobby, that Harry was still alive.

Of course, discovering that Harry was on a potentially lethal adventure was one thing. Finding out that said adventure had some unforeseen consequences was another. He stared at the picture of the dark-haired, green-eyed teenager who only superficially resembled Harry. His green eyes looked vaguely feline, and he had a tail protruding from his backside.

Still, Dobby had said the magical signature matched Harry's. Not in those words, really, but magic was tied to the soul, and each soul had a unique magic signature. It was why wizards and witches needed to be matched to wands. And House Elves had an ability to sense the magic signature of their masters, or else they wouldn't be able to teleport to where they were summoned.

Still, this added a wrinkle to any potential homecoming. He certainly could not announce publicly that Harry Potter had come back, albeit as a tailed being from another world. Which, if Harry's missive was to be believed, had been destroyed by a madman who was now set on destroying the universe. In fact, Harry had outlined a plan, and while Dumbledore had every reason to believe that it would work, the truth is, he wanted to be sure Harry made it, along with the universe.

He got up from his desk, and walked over to the perch where Fawkes was standing. The magnificent Phoenix looked at Dumbledore curiously, and asked a question in a trill.

"I may need you to do something very dangerous, Fawkes. You can make your way to Harry, can't you? Even across the gulf between dimensions?"

Fawkes nodded, and trilled something else.

"Yes. I fear Harry is about to do something truly dangerous, and he will need your help to come out of it safely. If the one helping him with his plan fails…please help Harry succeed. We need to stop this Kuja. Please, Fawkes…I trust you. This will be far more dangerous than blinding a Basilisk. Will you still do so?"

Fawkes nodded again.

"Thank you. I had better explain what you will need to do. I will send word back to Harry on how to summon you if he needs you. And then…we had better pray that he succeeds in what he intends to do. Or else all is lost…"

 **CHAPTER 12 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Well, only two more chapters to go, I've decided. I'm skipping ahead to the final confrontation with Kuja, glossing over the Memoria stuff. The next chapter will be the fight, and after that will be the aftermath, and the setup for the sequel. I thought that this or the previous chapter would be the last ones I would write for a while, but the way things are going, if I can complete a story, well, I've got another story completed and not abandoned.**

 **Review-answering time!** **Heika** **: *Sigh* It's not GAIA'S crystal, but the Crystal from which all worlds spring, Terra, Gaia, Earth, etc. I thought I made this clear.**

 **ImagInarI** **: I wouldn't be at all surprised if Zidane and Kuja's Trance forms were inspired by Super Saiyan 4. And yes, there will be a lot of comment when Harry returns to Earth in his new Genome body…**

 **diagonalpumpkin** **: His magic is enhanced, but Mikoto's is technically stronger. I based Kuja's hissy fit on the equivalent scenes in the game, but abridged it, and changed it slightly. It is Garland's spirit that tells him that he's mortal in the game, but I decided to have something like an 'evil Android 16's head' moment.**

 **1\. Harry and Mikoto are dressed as Red Mages, but don't you think the female Red Mages in the game look like cowgirls?**


	14. Chapter 13: Journey's End

**CHAPTER 13:**

 **JOURNEY'S END**

As they clambered through the crystalline landscape, Harry reflected that it had been an arduous journey, to say the least. Not to mention a weird one.

Firstly, as the _Invincible_ was sent towards the massive portal, a rather large swarm of Silver Dragons was sent out. Despite not notifying any of the allies of their party, they came anyway. Cid had arrived in the _Hilda Garde 3_ , and Beatrix in the _Red Rose_. Between the efforts of the airship fleets of Alexandria and Lindblum, the _Invincible_ managed to make it into the portal, though they had to fight a massive dragon that Mikoto identified as a Nova Dragon.

They had then arrived in a strange, eerie place that soon got identified as Memoria. And the one who identified it to them? None other than Garland, who was somehow able to speak to Zidane, Mikoto, and Harry. Somehow, his spirit could speak to the Genomes, and he carefully led them through Memoria. When Harry questioned Garland's motives, the android's spirit gave a blunt answer: he wished to help preserve existence rather than see it destroyed. With Terra gone, it was now his only purpose.

Memoria was a place of memories, where the memories of Gaia flowed back into the Crystal. As they progressed, they saw the history of Gaia unfold in reverse, some able to witness the events shown, others unable to. But even then, they began to witness even more ancient history, until finally, they witnessed the attempted fusion between Gaia and Terra, and then the most ancient memories of Gaia itself. Throughout it all, Garland offered commentary, before his soul finally dissolved into nothingness. His last words were along the lines of having no regrets for what he did, simply because he fulfilled the purpose he was created for.

Of course, they had to deal with various strong monsters as well. And to their horror, they also had to fight the Guardians of Terra again. And now, after a surreal journey through what seemed like space after defeating a reborn Lich, they were here, in the Crystal World.

Harry had told the others of his plan, and while they considered it risky, they nonetheless agreed to go with it. It was better than risking Kuja destroying all existence.

Finally, they found him, still in his Super-Trance form. He was floating languorously in front of a deceptively small crystal that spun lazily behind a spinning ring of patterned stone. When he saw them approach, he smiled, almost serenely. But you could see the madness dancing in his eyes. "How nice of you to come," he said. "I hope you enjoyed my welcoming gift, of the Four Chaos Demons, the ones made into the Guardians of Terra. They were so obliging when I brought them back from the grave, formed from the Crystal's memory." He waved a hand at the Crystal behind him. "Such a beautiful thing, no? The birthplace of all things. And when I destroy it, all things shall vanish as well. All worlds, all life, all memories. Nothing will survive beyond me."

As Kuja broke out into maddened laughter, Zidane scowled. "Shut up! We're going to stop you!"

"Stop me?" Kuja tittered. "Even if you do, Terra will still assimilate Gaia. The last ashes will consume Gaia, and change it into Terra."

"You're working under a misconception, Kuja," Mikoto said. "The Iifa Tree is dying before long. Gaia has been saved, but at the expense of Terra. A world you destroyed. My people. Your people. Our people."

"Oh, is that righteous anger I hear from the little puppet?" Kuja sneered. "Even if I was misinformed, I don't care! If I'm dying, I will bring you all down with me!"

"You're a coward," Harry said. "My mentor said that to the well-organised mind, death is but the next great adventure."

"Then your mentor was a fool!" Kuja declared.

"If you're going to die, leave us out of it!" Garnet yelled.

"I don't think so!" Kuja roared. "The world should not exist without me! It's not fair that I will not get to savour it for eternity! If I die, we all die! That is my promise to you all!"

Throughout Memoria, Zidane, Mikoto, and Harry had suppressed their anger as much as they could, knowing that it would be needed for this moment. But now, at Kuja's words, they allowed the anger to surge forth. Light burst forth from the three of them, enveloping them, changing them. The three Genomes looked more or less identical in Trance, only with different appearances: Harry's fur was dark blue, and Mikoto, like Zidane, was magenta, though it covered a more feminine body.

Harry was surprised to learn that he even had the capacity to enter Trance. Mikoto mused that it may have had to do with the differences in Gaian and Terran biology, compared to Earth biology. His soul was capable of using Trance, but his body was another matter entirely. Once in a Genome, however, he could use it.

Of course, using Trance was only part of the plan.

Unbidden, the others began their attacks, distracting Kuja as the three Genomes raced at him. The insane Genome flung magic spells at them, and swatted those aimed at him away. Zidane was the first to reach Kuja, grabbing him. "This is your grand strategy?" Kuja sneered. "A Full Nelson?"

Harry and Mikoto grabbed onto Kuja's arms, and then, Harry yelled, "DOBBY!"

With a _crack!_ , the House Elf appeared on the crystalline platform in front of them. Kuja, upon looking at the bulging-eyed, bat-eared creature, actually found himself dumbfounded. "What…the hell…is that thing?"

"That, Kuja, is Dobby. A good friend of mine. Dobby! Are you ready?"

Dobby nodded eagerly, and then ran towards the quartet of Genomes. With a cry of effort, he leapt into the air, looking as if he intended to grab onto Kuja. Which was part of the plan. Grab onto Kuja, bring him somewhere where he can be dealt with without risking the destruction of the Crystal, and then stop him.

At least that was the plan.

With a snarl, Kuja lashed out with his foot, sending the House Elf flying, where he skidded to a halt at Garnet's feet. As Garnet cradled the bleeding head of the House Elf, her hands already glowing with healing magic, Kuja sneered. "How pathetic! That was your trump card?! And if that's any indication as to the quality of your friends, then frankly you should embrace oblivion!"

"That wasn't my trump card," Harry said quietly. Then, suddenly, he yelled, "FAWKES!"

The thing was, House Elves weren't the only beings that could traverse dimensions. At the behest of humans they had become loyal to, Phoenixes could do the same. Dumbledore, upon hearing about Harry's plan to stop Kuja, had offered a back-up plan. If Dobby couldn't do it, then maybe Fawkes could.

And in a ball of flame and emitting the ethereal song of his kind, Fawkes the Phoenix appeared, right above the quartet of Genomes. Kuja blinked. "Wait, what? A Phoenix? How is this going to defeat me?"

"That…would…be…telling!" Harry ground out, as Kuja began struggling to get out of their grips. But to no avail. Fawkes settled onto Kuja's head, and then, the quartet of Genomes disappeared in a flash of flame.

Dobby, who had been healed by Garnet, sat up and looked around. "Mister Harry Potter sir?" he asked plaintively.

"He's gone, Dobby," Garnet said quietly. "He had to use Fawkes to get Kuja away from the Crystal. But Dobby…can you get us out of here?"

The House Elf nodded. "Where do you wants to go, Princessy Gannet?"

"The _Invincible_ , for the time being," Garnet said. "And from there, we'll go home." She looked over at the Crystal, spinning lazily. She had the feeling that, from behind the Crystal, something without eyes was watching.

She almost imagined she could hear something being spoken, in a dark, tenebrous voice. _Is the will to live truly that strong? I have to wonder…but it is not time yet for me to wake, it seems. But my awakening is inevitable, as long as there is life and death(_ _1)_ …

She shuddered, before she turned to the others. "We'll have to hope Zidane can make his own way back. Dobby, you can bring him back, can't you?"

"Yes, Princessy Gannet, but…well, the place he went to…" Dobby shuddered in fear and loathing. "It's not a very nice place indeedy…"

* * *

Which was something of an understatement. Many a place has been given the cognomen of 'Hell on Earth', though few are truly deserving of such an appellation.

Of those was the place where Harry, Zidane, Mikoto and Kuja ended up. To Kuja, the island looked unremarkable: a dreary, wind-swept crag jutting out of a cold, cold sea, with rain pelting down more heavily than in Burmecia. To Zidane and Mikoto, the island certainly looked like it lived up to its reputation, the one Harry had told them about. And to Harry, this was a place he vowed never to come to if he could help it. But desperate times called for desperate measures.

Harry looked up at the fortress before them, and saw, already, dark shapes flitting around it, gathering like flies drawn to carrion. He released Kuja, and backed away, keeping Kuja between him and the fortress. Mikoto and Zidane did the same, with Fawkes flying off Kuja's head and landing on Harry's shoulder. "What the hell is this place?" Kuja asked, looking at the fortress. "Where's the damned Crystal?!"

"You're far away from the Crystal, Kuja," Harry said, even as he began to hear the screaming in his mind, as the dark shapes flitted closer and closer. "You're on my world now. I don't want to do this, but you threatened to destroy everything in existence."

"So I'm on your world now?!" Kuja demanded, wheeling to face Harry, madness glittering in his eyes. "That was your mistake, Harry! I have more than enough power to destroy your world!" But even as energy gathered around him, something like a living, tattered cloak dropped out of the sky with a screech. Kuja fired a spell at it on instinct, sending it crashing to the ground.

"You shouldn't have done that, Kuja," Harry said, struggling to remain conscious, as the screams from his memories threatened to drown them.

"What the hell is that?" Kuja asked, his eyes widening with fear. "And…what is this place doing to me?"

"You're on the island of Azkaban, Kuja," Harry said, trying his hardest not to faint. "The worst prison on my world, used for the worst wizarding criminals. Do you know why?"

"The guards are creatures called Dementors," Mikoto said, her quavering tone not matching the detachment of her words. "They draw out your worst memories, feed on your happiness. But they also feed on souls. According to Harry, it's called the Dementor's Kiss. And with so many souls housed in your body…"

Zidane gave a shaky grin. "It's like a feast laid out for the Dementors, I guess. All those souls you used to achieve a Super-Trance…it's like someone's ringing the gong, and yelling 'DINNERTIME!'. I'm sorry, Kuja, but like Harry said, we're not going to let you destroy everything."

"NO!" Kuja yelled, flinging an Ultima bolt at a Dementor swarm. Some got hit, and disintegrated. He flung another wildly. The demonic creatures dodged, and the bolt hit the high-security area of the prison. No wardens or guards were there, thankfully, but the inmates, all Death Eaters, were annihilated. And then, the Dementors swarmed him.

With a scream of fright, he took flight, flying over the ocean with a swarm of Dementors pursuing him. He managed to destroy some of them, but eventually, they surrounded him, causing him to disappear in a cloud of ragged cloaks. His last screams were horrible, as the Dementors fed on the hundreds of souls he had shoved into his body. Even over the sound of the surf, they could hear his last hoarse scream, as his own soul was finally consumed. Then, finally, the Dementors dispersed, the body of Kuja dropping into the surf, no longer in Trance. His robes, soon saturated with water, dragged him down into the depths.

But the Dementors were hardly sated, despite the feast. They began swarming towards the three Genomes. And they felt their Trance fade as the damned creatures approached. The last thing Harry heard before the all-too-familiar screaming of his mother and the cold laughter of Voldemort began was the song of Fawkes…

* * *

In his office, Dumbledore paced, hoping beyond hope that Harry succeeded. He knew Harry had done something when Fawkes disappeared. Now came the worst part: the waiting.

Suddenly, there was the distinctive song of Fawkes, and then, materialising in a ball of flame, were a trio of people. Only one of them was conscious, the blonde-haired boy with the blue eyes. He was holding on to the others, and Fawkes was holding onto the dark-haired boy.

"Hey, you, are you Dumbledore?" the blonde boy demanded, on the verge of hysteria, his tail swishing agitatedly. "Harry and Mikoto need help!"

Dumbledore nodded, and hurried over to the Floo, throwing in powder. He called out, "POPPY! We need whatever you can get for Dementor exposure immediately!" He then turned to the blonde. "Are you Zidane Tribal?"

"Last time I checked, I was," the boy said.

Dumbledore nodded, before heading to a small drawer, and taking out a small selection of chocolates that he sometimes snacked on if he felt like them, and threw one to Zidane, who caught it with excellent reflexes. "Chocolate helps with the after-effects of Dementor exposure," he explained.

The teenaged thief bit into one sceptically, before he relaxed a little. "What about Harry and Mikoto?"

"If the Dementors didn't manage to get them, they'll be fine with some treatment and rest," Dumbledore said. "And what of this Kuja?"

Zidane scowled a little, before saying, "He was attacked by the Dementors and his soul was consumed, I think. I'm sure he drowned in the sea."

"A pity." Suddenly, the Floo flared into life, and the stern Madam Pomfrey strode through. "Poppy, your patients are right there."

Pomfrey blinked when she saw the trio of teenagers with tails, before sighing resignedly, knowing that whatever had happened was a long story. Dumbledore, meanwhile, sighed in relief. It seemed that Harry's adventure, at least on Gaia and Terra, was over.

Even so, it may be that an adventure here was going to continue…

 **CHAPTER 13 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **Yes, Kuja's dead. No last-minute redemption for him. I know a lot of you who are fans of Kuja will be annoyed at me doing this. All I can say is: deal with it.**

 **This is the penultimate chapter. The next chapter, the last chapter, will wrap things up, as well as set the stage for the sequel.**

 **Review-answering time!** **Akuma-Heika** **: Look, blame Square Enix for that. They were the ones who made the means to access the Crystal linked to Gaia and Terra. I presume the reason it was accessible from Gaia was because of the Iifa Tree or something. In** ** _Final Fantasy IX_** **, you can see female Red Mages (though many of them wear yellow shirts, actually). If you've played the game, you might have seen an optional scene where Steiner is walking around Lindblum in Disc One, and asks a female Red Mage for help getting back to Lindblum Castle. She thinks it's a pick-up line, and tells Steiner to shine his armour.**

 **1\. Yes, this is Necron speaking. He's just barely awakened, but it would have taken Kuja trying to destroy the Crystal to get him to fully manifest.**


	15. Chapter 14: Home Truths

**CHAPTER 14:**

 **HOME TRUTHS**

Green, almost feline eyes flickered open, and met twinkling blue ones. Harry blinked, and then groaned, before a warm mug was gently pressed into his hands. "Hot chocolate," Dumbledore said quietly. "Running into Dementors is becoming a habit for you, Harry."

"Yeah. I dunno what was I was thinking, deliberately luring Kuja to Azkaban," Harry said quietly, before sipping hot chocolate. "But it worked. Are Zidane and Mikoto all right? Fawkes?"

"They are all perfectly all right, as you can see," Dumbledore said, indicating the beds nearby, where Mikoto and Zidane were sitting up, the latter being fussed over by Pomfrey, much to the young thief's indignation. "They will be kept here overnight for the time being. Then, we'll have to find new accommodation for you all."

Harry scowled, thinking he would have to live with the Dursleys. However, Dumbledore, discerning how he thought, held up a hand. "Harry, I won't be sending you to the Dursleys again. Your new body is both a blessing and a curse, and part of it has to do with why I left you with the Dursleys. It's about time that I told you why I left you there…"

And so, Dumbledore explained about the blood wards, with Mikoto and Zidane (Pomfrey having retired for the night) listening. Harry scowled. He didn't like it at all, but it made sense. After Dumbledore finished, he asked, "So the reason I can't stay at the Dursleys' anymore is because we no longer share the same blood, right?"

"Indeed. As I said, this is both a blessing and a curse. You no longer have to stay in such a situation…but you no longer have that safe haven. The blood wards are based on blood rather than the soul. I should have told you earlier, Harry, but I deluded myself into thinking it could wait until you were older. The fault is mine, and mine alone. And when you disappeared, Voldemort telling his fellow Death Eaters that you were dead…I feared that my sins had finally caught up with me. And not just those relating to you, either. The older one gets, the more mistakes one accumulates. And I fear there may be more to come. There is trouble brewing in the Ministry of Magic. I didn't tell you, but the man who sabotaged the trophy was Barty Crouch Junior. He was disguised as Moody the whole year."

Harry felt a sickening jolt, remembering the Marauder's Map, how it showed 'Barty Crouch' talking to Moody. "Where was Moody?"

"A prisoner in his own trunk, used as a source of hairs for the Polyjuice Potion Barty Crouch Junior was using to appear as Moody. Barty Crouch Junior confessed what he did when we caught and confronted him, but a Dementor Fudge brought along as a guard gave him the Kiss, and Fudge refused to believe that Voldemort has revived. That being said, the current belief in the Ministry is that you and Cedric were murdered by rogue former Death Eaters, your remains having been destroyed. I will tell you of how Barty Crouch Junior faked his death another time. Until your letters came, we were afraid you were dead. Perhaps, to the public eye, that is how you should remain, Harry. I don't think we can invent a cover story plausible enough to explain away your transformation. Many would consider such a technology as used to transfer your soul to be dark. And some may want it for themselves. Only the Order will know of this."

"The Order?" Zidane asked.

"The Order of the Phoenix, an anti-Voldemort group I originally formed back when Voldemort was on the ascendancy. Your parents, Harry, were members, as were Arthur and Molly Weasley, Sirius and Remus, and Moody," Dumbledore said. "I have recalled the members of the Order, and have recruited some more. The Weasleys and Miss Granger are staying at our current headquarters, and I think, for the time being, you and your new friends will stay there too. But there are more problems on the horizon. The Minister of Magic is beginning to denounce me for sins both real and imagined, backed by Death Eaters in positions of influence in the Wizengamot, and using _The Daily Prophet_ in a smear campaign. He's already threatening to put a rather vile woman in the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, and is already intending to make her the High Inquisitor for Hogwarts."

"Who is she?" Harry asked.

"Dolores Umbridge. Both I and Remus have had the bad fortune to anger her, though for Remus, it is through no fault of his own, save for his condition," Dumbledore said. "While I am not sure whether she is an actual Death Eater, I believe she is, at the very least, what Muggles call a 'groupie'."

"Sounds charming," Zidane said. "Where do we come in?"

"I hesitate to ask you, Zidane, as well as you, Mikoto, because you have only just emerged from an adventure to save your own world, or at least one you have adopted. And as you have no magic of your own per se, Zidane, you can't be enrolled in Hogwarts. But Mikoto…I think you can be. And to tell the truth, the Order needs as much help as we can get. With Dobby and Fawkes able to travel between Earth and Gaia…"

"We'll think about it," Zidane said. "But Dagger's got obligations. I mean, she is a princess after all. And knowing Rusty and Beatrix, they'll probably want to keep her close to home, now. But we've got Vivi, and Freya, and Amarant, and Eiko, and Quina…they might be able to help. But I want to make sure they're okay first, as well as let them know we're okay, that Kuja's dead."

"Call for Dobby, Harry," Dumbledore said. "He may have some news."

"Okay. Dobby!" Harry called out. And the House Elf popped into existence on his bed.

"Oh, Mister Harry Potter, sir!" Dobby squeaked. "And Sid-Dame! And Mikky-Toe! You're all alright!"

"Is Dagger alright?" Zidane asked. "The others?"

"Yes, Princessy Gannet and the others made it back to the big scary airship with Dobby's help, sir! They left that strange portal thing, made Dobby's ears tingle that did, and then, that tree thing seemed to go crazy and die! No more Mist, so says Lady Frayer! Theys on their ways back to Lindy-Blum. Is the mean girly-man gone?"

"Yes, Dobby. Kuja's dead," Harry said. "The plan worked. I'm sorry you got hurt."

"It's okay, Princessy Gannet used her heals to help Dobby!" Dobby said.

Mikoto, despite herself, giggled. "Heals?"

"But, Dobby is sorry, Harry Potter. Dobby was unable to help you against the mean girly-man," Dobby said, pulling at his ears pensively.

"You tried, Dobby, and frankly, we succeeded anyway. You're a brave House Elf, Dobby. And I didn't want you to get hurt. I'm sorry you did." He hugged the House Elf. "Go and tell Garnet and the others we're fine, okay? We're just suffering a little from Dementor exposure."

"Okay!" Dobby said, nodding eagerly, and then vanishing with a loud crack.

* * *

Back on Gaia, a few minutes later, Garnet was sighing in relief. Zidane was still alive, along with Mikoto and Harry. The plan had worked, apparently. They were recuperating from Dementor exposure. They sounded like horrid things, from Harry's descriptions when he outlined his plan to their group. It was a risk to try this, partly because Kuja could potentially kill the Dementors coming after him. They were counting on the psychologically-debilitating effects of the Dementors to help cripple Kuja's power. And it worked.

Eiko, Quina, and Steiner were celebrating, but Garnet, Vivi, and Freya were more solemn. Amarant was sitting apart from the crowd, as usual. "We are triumphant," Garnet said quietly. "But I feel…little elation."

"That is normal," Freya said, speaking from experience as a Dragon Knight of Burmecia. "Sometimes, it's all you can do to feel good that you're still alive. Kuja was a twisted, evil man, of that there is no doubt. But there is much about him that can make him an object of pity. That is part of the reason we feel this way, Princess. I take no pleasure in killing. I doubt that any of us do. Kuja did. What's more, his ego wouldn't allow anything to exist without him. He was a rabid dog, needing to be put down."

"That doesn't make me feel at all better," Garnet said.

"No," Freya conceded. "Look, then, to what you accomplished, what we all have. Between all our efforts, we saved the universe from complete destruction. That is something, I am sure, few people could claim to have done. Zidane, Mikoto, and Harry may have held Kuja down, but would they have accomplished that without us protecting them?"

Garnet nodded. "You have a point, Freya."

"I…guess I feel a bit sorry for Kuja," Vivi admitted. "I still hate him…but…we Black Mages are so like the Genomes. Would I have done the same in his shoes? Grandpa told me once to walk a mile in someone's shoes before you judge them."

"You have a point, Vivi. Kuja's crimes are unforgivable and inexcusable," Garnet said. "But…would he have turned out that way if things were different? Zidane, after all, was made for the same purpose, and yet…" She blushed a little, and looked down. "He is crude and lecherous, but he is chivalrous at heart, a true hero. I…I love him. I really do. I think I do."

"Zidane is a truly remarkable character. In the end, I think you can do far worse than with him, Princess," Freya said. "He has a nobility that far outshines that of his station."

Garnet nodded, though she knew such thoughts would inevitably anger Steiner, though at least the Captain of the Pluto Knights was becoming better-inclined towards the tailed thief. Time would tell, really…

* * *

This had to be one of the hardest things Harry had ever done in his short but admittedly very eventful life. He had faced his nemesis no less than three times, fought off Dementors, faced down a dragon, and only recently, had stopped plots to destroy worlds. Oh, and he had effectively died, and been reborn in a new, non-human body.

But this was going to be even harder: facing his friends, in his new body, with his girlfriend by his side. Yes, girlfriend. He was already surprisingly okay with thinking of Mikoto as a girlfriend. The stoic teenaged Genome was growing even more closer to him by the day. And she was curious about the new world she had ended up in.

Nearby was Zidane, looking around the house. Harry was sure he was wondering how much he could steal and sell off.

Apparently the Order of the Phoenix had its headquarters in 12 Grimmauld Place, but had been placed under a Fidelius, with Dumbledore as the Secret Keeper. Said house was apparently the ancestral home of the Blacks, Sirius' childhood home, and what a grim and grotty place it was. They had to tread carefully around the main hall, to avoid waking up the obstreperous, foul-mouthed, and racist portrait of Sirius' mother, Walburga Black. They had arrived via Floo, and now, here they were, being led to the kitchens, where the Order, plus Harry's friends, were waiting.

"Are you ready, Harry?" Zidane asked.

Harry nodded, albeit a little reluctantly. Dumbledore was currently telling the others what had happened. Soon, he would have them come in when the time was right. He could hear what sounded like some sort of argument on the other side. There were some who were either concerned, or disbelieving. He looked over at Mikoto. "Are you ready, Mikoto?"

"As much as I can be, given the circumstances," she said quietly.

Then, at that moment, the door opened. Dumbledore stood there, and gestured for the three Genomes to enter. "It's time. Please, come in."

The three Genomes, two with Terran souls, the third with a human soul, entered the kitchen. Friends, a foe (Snape was glaring at him, of course), and people he didn't know were looking at him searchingly. He knew they would find this hard to believe. It wasn't his body or his voice anymore. He just hoped they could look past that, see that he was still there.

Mikoto's tail, which was intertwined with his own, helped give him the courage to continue. So too did her hand, squeezing his own. He had comforted her, given her strength in her moment of weakness. Now she was doing the same for him. And he was glad for it.

Eventually, he opened his mouth, and said, quietly, "Hello. It's me. I'm back."

 **TO BE CONTINUED…**

 **CHAPTER 14 ANNOTATIONS:**

 **And there you have it: the conclusion to** ** _Xenophilia_** **. When I come to do the sequel, it will pick up where I left off. While not written yet, it has the tentative title of** ** _Xenophobia_** **. Given that it will be set in Fifth Year, comparisons will probably be made to Canis Cantus'** ** _Magical Orders and Thieving Angels_** **. Unlike that story, Harry and company will know who Zidane is from the outset, Kuja won't be in it, and there'll be another** ** _Final Fantasy IX_** **character as a Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher instead of the Umbitch (though she'll still have, sadly, a role). I'm torn between having Lady Hilda and Stiltzkin as the DADA teacher (no, really!), but feel free to give opinions on who it should be in the reviews.**

 **Anyway, I hope you enjoyed** ** _Xenophilia_** **.**

 **No numbered annotations for this chapter.**


	16. SEQUEL NOTICE!

**SEQUEL UP!**

The first two chapters of the sequel to this story, _Xenophobia_ , have been posted.


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